Essence of The Divine: The 200th Hunger Games
by LordShiro
Summary: 'Time to release everyone's inner monster.'
1. Prologue I: The Essence

Professor Myriad Dane, Head of the PSI

* * *

_Day I_

_Subject shows signs of aggression. Soon after the first injection, the subject passes out._

_A few hours later subject is given food and water. No signs of developing abilities quite yet._

_Day II_

_Subject's behavior is still aggressive. Still no sign of developing abilities. _

_Day III_

_Subject becomes more aware of surroundings. Perhaps a sign of special abilities. Subject is more alert and seems to twitch at the slightest bit of noise_

_Day IIII_

_After undergoing some physical tests, it was discovered that the subject's mobility had increased massively. The subject was able to climb walls over five meters high. The subject's speed was also double that of a normal human being. There had also been an increase in the subject's physical strength, especially in the thighs._

_Day V_

_After undergoing tests to examine the subject's senses, a huge increase in the subject's visual and auditory capacity was discovered. Not only was the subject able to hear sounds miles away before the human ear can catch them but the subject's pupils had changed into a more feline-like appearance. _

_Day VI_

_It had become quite obvious. The injection of the serum had given the subject the abilities of a feline creature. To sum up the findings: Subject's agility, strength, sight, smell, and auditory capabilities have increased._

Myriad shuffles through his files one more time before Headgamemaker, Cynthio Fontana, makes his grand entrance at the Panemian Scientific Institute. The two have been working closely together on an innovation for the upcoming 6th Quarter Quell. Not only will his invention change the Hunger Games forever but it will completely shift the balance of power in the Capitol itself.

There they are. His files. His beautiful, beautiful, files. They contain so much. He's put blood, sweat, and tears into his research and today is the day he finds out if it might all have been for nothing since nothing in Panem can be traded or used without the confirmation of the council.

Myriad preferred when the council was non-existent. It was a lot easier to influence the president back then. Sadly, in order to hinder the mistakes of past presidents happening again, four council members are assigned to each president to advise him and help him make a 'good' decision for the general benefit of the Capitol. However, the final ruling is and will always be solely up to the president.

In other words: It was going to be a pain in the behind to get the special serum he had discovered, to be accepted for the Hunger Games. If it does get accepted, however, well… this might just be the flashiest, most unique and bold Hunger games the public will ever lay eyes on.

'Professor, are you ready?'

Myriad jumps up, dropping all his paperwork onto the ground. 'I didn't do it!' he shouts as his glasses almost fall of his nose.

No one other than Cynthio himself stands in his office. I wicked crack of a smile appears on his lips. 'Didn't do what?'

'Ugh, nothing. Nothing of importance. Yes, I'm ready.' Myriad hurries to the ground. 'Let me just pick up... ' he collects the files into one big pile. '...my paperwork and we should be ready to go.'

'Oh, Professor!' Cynthio shouts as he throws his arms into the air. 'Father is going to love this idea!'

Ah, yes. The current president, Demacius Fontana, is none other than the current head gamemaker's father. The president's daughter, Anargi Fontana, and thus the head gamemaker's sister is one of the president's four council members.

In other words: The Fontanas are the most powerful family in all of Panem

'Getting your father's approval might not be as easy as you think it is, Cynthio.'

'He'll love it, I promise, you'll see!'

* * *

Cynthio Fontana, Head Gamemaker

* * *

He can't wait to wipe that smug smile off of his sister's face when he gets a seat at the council table for coming up with the best Quell twist that Panem has ever seen. It was going to be grand, it was going to be amazing, it was going to be fabulous.

How he can't stand the way his sister makes him feel every day. How she makes him feel insignificant, how she makes him feel like he's undeserving of his father's love. Once he's in power, he'll show her. No, he'll show all of them.

'Knock, knock. I'm hoooome,' he sings, rhythmically knocking on the door of the council hall as a peacekeeper escorts them inside. 'There you are, father!' Cynthio smiles widely. 'Oh… sister, darling, you're here to. Sorry, sometimes I forget that your part of the council now. Haven't really done anything significant, have you?' he chuckles to himself.

His sister grimaces a sarcastic smile in response.

The council hall was majestic, to say the least. Even Cynthio had to admit that. The hall wasn't that big and yet the high ceiling and the hollow emptiness of the room, made it seem like it stretched miles and miles into the distance. Three pillars connected the floor to the ceiling on either side. They were made of white marble. The floor was checkered black and white like a chessboard. There was a gigantic chandelier swinging about in the center of the hall.

Definitely, however, the most eye-catching thing about the hall was the massive council seat in the middle. There were steps that lead up to the council members as they sat in their chairs, their desks in front of them, waiting to judge you.

Cynthio could tell that the professor was nervous. He was always nervous, so it didn't make a difference. He elbowed Myriad, signaling him to stop shaking and to show confidence.

His father, the president of Panem was sitting in the middle between the council members. His seat is elevated just a little more than the others to show that he stands even above the council and that the final ruling is and will always be his.

On his left are two of the four council members: Inez Dally'O and Phosphorus Harrington.

Inez is responsible for the military forces in Panem. She's a powerful woman who has control over the peacekeepers in the Capitol as well as in the Districts. After receiving feedback from Phosphorus, she decides how many peacekeepers have to be sent to each District. She's also responsible for the military enlistment. Anyone who wants to become a peacekeeper has to pass her test and every general of their time got his or her status only through her permission.

Phosphorus is responsible for the Districts. He keeps tabs on everything that goes on in the lesser folk. He has spies and messengers set up everywhere in each District that tell him everything that goes on and if there is anything to worry about. He's also responsible for the transportation of the goods from the Districts into the Capitol. It is his job to make sure that each District pays off their expected amount.

On the president's right, the other two of the four council members are seated: Voxus Crez and Anargi Fontana.

Voxus has always been the most fascinating for Cynthio. Voxus is responsible for the Capitol assassins. After the assassins undergo their training to earn money for their craft, It is up to Voxus to rank them on a tier list from F to S with S-Tier being the highest tier. An assassin's ranking determines how expensive they are to rent. The higher the ranking, the higher the price, the higher the success rate. Voxus is also in control of the underground business in the Capitol. Everything that isn't glitter or confetti on the surface is in Voxus' control. He has spies everywhere in the Capitol so he always knows about everything and if there's anything illegal happening, he'll report back to either Inez or the president, depending on the situation.

And, finally, there was Anargi. Also known as the hateful bitch who can't keep her mouth shut for once in her whole fucking life.

Anargi is responsible for the Capitol volk. She always knows what was going on in the Capitol's 'surface world' unlike Voxus who was in charge of the 'underground world'. Anargi always knows what the Capitolites are complaining about, and what the financial situation is like.

Since she was just a pathetic little girl, Anargi always dreamed of being a hero. Of course, she was class president, of course, she got the best grades, and of course, the little snake managed to snatch herself a spot on the council after manipulating their father. Now, she does whatever she can to fight for the rights of the Capitolites, especially the lower class ones, because who wouldn't want to support a kindhearted queen like her? It makes Cynthio sick to his stomach just thinking about her.

'Son.' his father nods.

'Hello, Father. As you know the sixth Quarter Quell for the Hunger Games is coming up in just a few months and I told you that I'd have something amazing in store for such an important occasion.' Anargi rolls her eyes. Cynthio gives her an evil eye. 'I'll let professor Dane take over from here.'

Myriad steps forward and Cytho can see how much he's trying not the break down from nervousness.

'For months, Mr. Fontana and I have been working on a special serum which we have decided to name 'The Essence'. We have tested it on several different animal species and-'

That was a lie. They didn't test it on animals. They tested the serum on prisoners that the Capitol had forgotten about a long time ago. It didn't matter. What they don't know, can't really hurt them, can it?

'- it became apparent quite soon that several days after the injection of the serum, the animals started to develop special abilities unknown to mankind. Months after our discovery, we continued to modify the serum so it would be safer, more effective, and take less time to manifest itself in the subject's body.'

'Thank you, professor Dane,' Cynthio says as he steps back forward. 'We plan on injecting this essence into the tributes while they are in the Capitol. We have been working on a special barrier beam that can absorb any damage it receives, meaning that any 'magical' damage it would take, would have zero effect on it. The tributes will be given personal instructors to help them take control of their power as well as two additional training days to the already existing three, in order for them to become more familiar with their gained abilities.'

'What kind of special abilities are we speaking of here?' Voxus asks clearly having become more and more interested in the topic at hand.

'Well, the special thing about 'The Essence' is that, how it affects you, depends completely on your genetic code and your character traits. For example, A person who goes through life being shy and introverted is more likely to have the ability to become invisible than, for instance, a person who is rather aggressive and impulsive who is more likely to perhaps gain the ability to control fire.'

'Interesting…' Voxus smiles.

'I think this is dangerous and quite frankly absolutely ridiculous!' Anargi gets up. 'He has no idea what he's doing father, and you know that.'

'I agree with Mrs. Fontana,' Phosphorus says. 'If this serum gets into the wrong hands it could only spell disaster for the Capitol and could potentially reawaken a war that has been put to rest two hundred years ago.'

'But let's look at it from a different angle,' Inez starts. 'If we manage to take control of this new innovation and integrate it into society properly, we could open thousands of doors that have never been opened before. This could be the future of society, the future of not only Panem but the whole world. And guess what, we would be the first to have discovered it. We could seize the planet!'

Yes, Cynthio can see that he had lit up a passion inside of Inez. He can see the excitement and the hint of madness in her eyes. He knows exactly how she is feeling. Power is such an important thing in life. Only few people realize its true potential and are willing to fight for it. He and Inez clearly share the same mindset and he knows that he's found an ally in her moving forward. Voxus is a bit harder to read. He seems interested but he's being very discreet about it. He could potentially be an ally. Anargi and Phosphorus, on the other hand, are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum and against the idea of gaining new power. What fools...

'Enough, let us not get ahead of ourselves.' the president bangs the hammer against his desk. 'I don't think it is time for us to look that far into the future, just yet. I will accept the Quell twist as perhaps a way of seeing the potential of this Essence. What better way than to have all of Panem be witness to this new innovation. Depending on how the Capitol reacts after seeing the effect of the serum on live television, we can decide what to do with it afterward. For security reasons I'll have Inez and Voxus enlist double the amount of peacekeepers and spies while the tributes are in the Capitol. I trust that you will make me proud, son'

Cynthio, wide-eyed, almost blushes

Demacius gets up from his desk. 'This is my final ruling.'

Soon after, the president announced the Quell twist on television and it became official. Time to let power take control, time to unlock everyone's inner madness, everyone's inner lust, and everyone's inner monster.

* * *

**Heyoo, so this is my new partial SYOT (I haven't stopped my other story but it will be updated less frequently than this one). The guidelines will be up on my profile as well as the link for the submission form and the tribute list. Out of the 24 spots, twelve will be getting POVs and only these twelve will have a chance to win the Games. Five of the tributes are mine (marked as CLOSED on the tribute list).**

**There is no set deadline, I'm hoping to come to a close within the end of September but we'll have to see how many submissions I'll get by then.**

**The Quell twist is simple: The tributes are injected with 'The Essence' which gives them special powers based on their character traits. I've always wanted to see more superpower Hunger Games so I thought why not make my own and let you guys create your lovely tributes and go wild with your creativity!**

**So, in this chapter, we've gotten to know the main bunch of our Capitol cast. I've decided to have a subplot this time around and it will involve the 'players' introduced in this chapter. The subplot will deal with the Capitol's reaction to the serum and, trust me, there will be a divide in the nation. The next two chapters will be introducing the mentors for the Games and the last prologue will introduce Bellmore, a Capitol citizen through whom's eyes we will see the reaction of the Capitol Folk, and Himeko, an S-Tier assassin who's also in a romantic entanglement with Anargi which means our main Capitol cast will be: Demacius, the president, Cynthio, the head gamemaker, Anargi, Councilmember , Myriad, head professor, Bellmore, Capitol citizen, Himeko, Capitol assassin**

**I hope you guys will find delight in this cast of subplot characters. The subplot will play a rather small part in the story because I really want to try and keep the focus on the tributes but I had a lot of fun creating these characters and I hope you'll like them.**

**See you guys next time with the first batch of mentors!**


	2. Mentors: To Be A Winner

Cayenne Botani, 15

District Eight Female

* * *

_Games: The 190th Hunger Games_

_Arena: Luscious Rainforest_

_Tributes remaining: Subaru Danton D6M, Cayenne Botani, D8F_

x

This might just be the most awkward final two in the history of the Games. Not only did Cayenne manage to plummet down a gigantic tree that covered the whole rainforest with its branches that seemed to expand into the distance further than the eye could see but she also got herself into quite the entanglement, literally. The only thing preventing her from crash-landing on the ground were the vines wrapped around her body, keeping her in mid-air. Even better, the last remaining tribute beside her, Subaru, who's also the one who rammed her down the overarching tree, is in the exact same predicament only a few feet away from her.

'Well, this is... ' he breathes heavily, giving it one last attempt to free himself. '...weird,' he says as he sighs and rests his muscles. It was pointless, both of them were aware of that.

'Don't worry, the Gamemakers will make sure that one of us dies, no matter what.' Cayenne says with a smile. 'They could probably cut one of our lifelines whenever they want. They're just curious to see what we're going to do in this scenario. Situations like these don't happen all too often in the Games.' Cayenne ads.

'No sugar coating with you, is there?'

'Sometimes reality is just better. It doesn't give you false hope and without false hope, you won't have false expectations.' Cayenne looks at her belt. As far as she knows, he hasn't noticed her key to victory yet. The slim, glimmering blade attached to her side is the only way she's going to get out of this alive.

'I guess you're right,' Subaru exclaims from the other side. Cayenne snaps back to reality. 'How old are you, by the way?'

'Fifteen.'

'Oh, fun, so am I' By the look of his face, the boy from Six has probably realized that Cayenne was scheming. 'I should probably be doing what you're doing, planning and all. I guess I do want to win after all. I mean, it would suck for me to die now, you know?'

Is he serious? Why is it that she is the one who is thinking and strategizing while he hangs there like a sloth waiting for nothing. Nothing…

He can't be waiting for nothing, he isn't that stupid. Subaru had an 8.3 as a score. He was a smart kid, she saw him during training.

Out of the blue, Cayenne feels a certain tug at the end of one of her vines. Quickly, she glances over, eyes widening with shock as she witnesses her vines being torn apart by Araxoids, which were gigantic tropical spiders crawling all over the arena.

'Ah, you noticed. Was hoping to distract you until it was too late. But I guess it is more fun watching you accept your fate or should I say… your doom.' he chuckles. Subaru is a lot more wicked and ruthless than she had anticipated. Typical kids from Six. Always the ones to keep an eye on.

'Bitch,' she mutters under her breath.

It is only a matter of time until the Araxoids tear completely through all of her vines. Cayenne has to think quickly. She has managed to prove time and time again during training that she was horrible at throwing knives and yet it was her only escape ticket. She slips the blade out of its sheath and holds it up high.

'Ah, I see she has some tricks left up her sleeves.' he's trying to keep his composure but Cayenne won't let herself be fooled twice.

'Yes, she certainly does.' With one quick flick of the wrist, she lets the knife sore through the air, only to miss the boy by inches.

'Oh no, poor you, seems like you just wasted your only chance at winning. Boohoo.' he says it all with that damn smile on his rotten face. 'All your family and friends are going to watch you die on live television and you can't do anything about-' he stops. 'Why are you smiling?'

'Goodbye.'

'What? I don't-' he realises it now. He feels it now. He feels the vines loosening around his waist, around his thighs, around his chest. He sees the blade that missed him by inches buried in the tree trunk behind him and how it left a trace of severed vines behind it. 'No, that can't be…'

In a split second, the vines give in and he releases his last breath before gravity bashes him against the underlying surface.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 190th Hunger Games, Cayenne Botani!'

* * *

Cerulean Vi, 18

District One Male

* * *

_Games: The 176th Hunger Games_

_Arena: Giant Racetrack_

_Tributes remaining: Cerulean Vi D1M, Jane Croft D9F_

x

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to have a racetrack as an arena? Cerulean can't help but miss the old days when it was just a simple, perhaps bland, Forrest or some mountaintops but now racetracks? Absolutely ridiculous.

The careers decided to turn on each other a little early this time around, probably because, just like him, they were tired of walking along the seemingly endless crossroads. As a result, Cerulean Vi from District One is the only career left in the Game.

Alongside him in the finale is Jane Croft, if he is correct. Sadly, he can't remember a single thing about the girl. She was so unmemorable and insignificant in the pre-games. Literally every other tribute had something, even if it was something very small, that stood out. Jane, however, nothing. He has little to no leverage over her and as much as he hates to admit it, he's worried.

Then he hears it. The roaring sound of an approaching car. Cerulean runs. There is nowhere to hide and facing a racecar head-on was completely out of the question. He can't outrun a car but he could buy himself time and time is what he needs.

At this point it feels like the bumper of the car is about to touch his heels. His instincts immediately take over and he throws himself to the side, evading the looming car. Quickly, he gets to his feet again, keeping the car in his view as it drifts full-circle, only to be facing Cerulean once more. The vehicle starts moving towards him again but this time slower. Cerulean slides his blade out and wields it in front of him, anticipating his opponent's next move.

Slowly Jane emerges from the inside of the car, holding a crossbow. A helmet, together with big, wind-blocking glasses cover her face. With one foot on the steering wheel, she points the crossbow at Cerulean and takes her aim. The arrow cuts through the wind until finally reaching Cerulean's blade with which he blocks the shot. This was a piece of cake for Cerulean. Arrow blocking is one of the basic skills they learned at the academy.

He deflects another shot, and another, and another. Jane who starts to realize that it is pointless disappears in her car again and tries to build up speed and momentum. In no way whatsoever was Cerulean going to let her have the upper hand again. He dashes at the car with full-speed, leaps into the air at just the right moment and lands with his two feet on the trunk of the car. He grabs the District Nine girl and hurls her onto the floor.

It was time to end these dreaded Games. Wasting no time, Cerulean bounces off the racecar and lifts his sword high into the air. Jane, still on the floor, throws her legs behind her head and rolls backward, evading the sword. She takes out her curved dagger with extreme speed and jabs it into Cerulean's thigh. 'Fuck!' he shouts.

Cerulean grips Jane's arm and pulls the dagger out with it. He then proceeds to twist her forearm, causing the weapon to drop from her hand. She throws a punch at Cerulean's face, breaking his nose. He growls in pain but doesn't let go. Jane turned out to be quite the slippery one. She's more lethal than he had expected and if he releases his grip she'll weasel away and wait for another opportunity to strike.

He slams the hilt of his sword against her head. Dazed, Jane staggers back but before she can recover and swoop in for another attack, Cerulean embeds his sword into her stomach. The girl tries to speak but closes her lips before any sound comes out. Not long after, do her muscles relax and her eyes roll to the back of her head as she plops to the ground.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 176th Hunger Games, Cerulean Vi!'

* * *

Valhalla Göransson, 18

District Ten Female

* * *

_Games: The 161st Hunger Games_

_Arena: Indian Rice Fields_

_Tributes remaining: Sinclair Preacher D1M, Griffith Max D2M, Bai Honeycove D4M, Valhalla Göransson D10F_

x

Val was never more disgusted and horrified in her entire life as she witnesses her loved one being beheaded by the District One male.

The careers were complicated this year. All the males were rather dominant and took the lead, leaving the females to follow them without a voice. One of the careers, however, was not going to let her voice and her liberty be taken away from her. Val and Veronyka were allies out of convenience. Veronyka needed new allies after deciding that she wasn't going to join the alpha male pack and Val found Veronyka to be the most attractive girl she'd ever seen so she just rolled with it. It wasn't long before a romance blossomed between the two as they became more than just convenient allies.

'Veronyka…' Val utters as she keeps her eyes focused on the ground, tears trickling down her face.

The career boys had gotten rid of the females in their pack around mid-game because they thought that they were slowing the group down. And so the trio Sinclair, Griffith, and Bai dominated this year's Games and took out all the big competition.

'This is getting ridiculous and boring too.' Griffith stretches his arms out and yawns. 'Bai, go finish the other one off.'

'Don't tell me what to do.' Bai gives Griffith a threatening look.

'Just do it for God's sake!' Sinclair shoves Bai forward.

They probably thought they could just duke it out between themselves after everyone's gone since they were so elite and so precious.

'Any last words before I kill you? Maybe you want to say something to your girlfriend...oh, right. She's dead.' he grimaces.

It is official. Cockiness is going to be the death of that boy

'You better watch your fucking mouth.' Val tightens the grip around the stem of her weapon.

'I'd say you be the one who better start to tread carefully or I'll make sure your death is as painful as it-' Val swipes her arm to the right, pulling the morning star, attached to the end of the chain, with her. It happened all so quickly but here Bai stands, eyes wide, lower jaw missing. Blood gurgles out of his throat before Val pushes him aside. The morning star swings like a thundering tornado around Val's head. Sinclair and Griffith look at each other and nod in seriousness. They understand that they might have underestimated the situation.

They both sprint towards Val making sure to keep their distance as not to get hit by the wrecking ball swinging around her like a force field. Griffith remains in front of Valhalla while Sinclair sneakily lurks in the back, slowly disappearing from Val's peripheral vision.

They are two while she is on her own. This wasn't going to be easy but there was no scenario in Val's head where she was going to lose against these two brutes.

Griffith keeps trying to distract her by dashing forward just to stop in time and retreat to his former position. Val is going to wait for the exact moment when the boy gets one step to close in his attempt to confuse her and slam the spiked ball into his skull.

There it is. The sound she was waiting to hear behind her. The liquid surface of the rice fields allowed for Val to hear anyone who tried to sneak up on her. That is the reason why she didn't go after Sinclair when he disappeared. She knew she was going to catch him in time.

And she did. Just as the District One career tries to swing his axe at her, Val, turns 360-degrees around her own axis, pulling the chain behind her. The morning star embeds itself in Sinclair's side, sending him sprawling across the field.

'Bitch!' Griffith cries. He tackles her while she tries to get her weapon back into its swinging motion. Both of them splash onto the floor. Griffith, on top of her, tries to puncture her skull with his blade but misses every time, as Val struggles to dodge the attacks directed at her. He wraps his hands around her throat and starts to press. The soothing tone of death whispers into her ears as her body longs for its supply of oxygen.

'This could have gone quickly. You could have died painlessly. I should thank you, actually. Now I don't have to go up against these two baboons once you die.' He continues to press as he moves in closer. 'So, thank you. Now die.'

Not missing the opportunity that has just presented itself, Val shoots her head against the career boy's skull causing him to loosen his grip and shout in pain. The blood gushes over his eyes, blinding him temporarily. Griffith wipes the blood from his eyes and prepares to go in for another attack. There is no chance in hell that she going to let him do that. With all her limited power left, Val jolts at the boy and slides her pocket knife deep into his chest, making sure to twist it nice and slow as the shock on Griffith's face turns into a solemn expression of acceptance and defeat. There was no voice congratulating Val on her victory after the boom sounded so she focuses her attention on Sinclair, still lying on the wet field where she sent him flying.

'This is for your stupidity, for your selfishness, for your ignorance, for your hubris, this is for all the girls you didn't think were strong enough to keep up with you, this is for all the girls you dismissed as being unworthy of your time. This is for you taking away my love…'

Sinclair tries to speak up but fails, letting out only a wheeze followed by a cough of blood. 'Goodnight.' Val slides the pocket knife across his throat.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 161st Hunger Games, Valhalla Göransson!'

* * *

Dodge Choi, 13

District Twelve Male

* * *

_Games: The 182nd Hunger Games_

_Arena: Poisonous Swamps_

_Tributes remaining: Queenie Le Karl D1F, Falcon Evans D2M, Meara Squid D4F, Zenith Flailer D4M, Theodora Dru D9F, Plum Reyes D11F, Viva Cortez D12F, Dodge Choi D12M_

x

This is going to be one of the biggest massacres in the history of the Games. Dodge doesn't like the idea. He'd rather stay back, lurking in the shadows and see what happens but being the youngest in an alliance with three older girls who all have their fair share of strong opinions, leaves him being too scared to voice a concern.

Their eyes are on the careers. 'I, honestly, think this is the best idea.' Viva says. 'They're just standing there, laughing. They probably think that we're all dispersed somewhere in the arena waiting to be picked off one by one.'

'I agree.' Theodora exclaims. 'They won't see it coming. We have the upper hand here and I think we should use this advantage while it lasts.'

'Plus, it means we wouldn't have to go up against each other because, at this point, I, sadly, don't think I could stab any one of you in the back, as much as I'd like to.' Plum ads. The other two chuckle.

'Dodge, are you good with this?' Viva lays a hand on his shoulder. His heart is beating ten times the normal amount. He feels like his chest is about to burst from fear. Do they all have a deathwish? This is not some kind of joke. This is life and death and these girls just want to have one big brawl with trained killers, thinking that one of them will come out victorious.

'Y-yes, of course…' he stutters. 'It's the only way, right?' he laughs nervously.

'Exactly, Dodge. The only way…' Viva seems to have trailed off with that sentence before snapping back to reality. 'Alright, Theo, ready your arrow and aim at Meara, the girl from Four. She seems to be completely unaware of her surroundings. She's least likely to see the shot coming.'

'You mean the one wearing the beanie?' Theodora asks as she pulls her arrow back.

'Yup,' Viva confirms. 'You guys ready?' she looks back at Plum and Dodge. 'This is it. This is the final battle. I just… I just want you all to know that I love you so much.' Dodge can tell that she's trying to hold back tears. 'The friendship I had with you guys was stronger than anything I had back home. I wouldn't sell a single one of you out, even if it meant I'd have to sacrifice myself.'

'Don't say that.' Plum interrupts. 'Just… don't say that.' Viva nods and turns back to Theo. 'Shoot.' And with that Theodora lets the arrow fly. At first it seems like the arrow is getting closer and closer. There's hope. This is really working. It is about to make its mark on the back of her neck. Until…

'Meara, watch out!' Falcon, the boy from Two, jumps in front of the girl, holding a shield close to his chest. The arrow that seemed to carry so much potential at first is defeated with one simple deflection. 'There they are!' he points at Dodge and the girls.

'ATTACK!' Viva screams, taking out her short-sword. Plum readies her dual axes while Theodora places another arrow on her bow. Dodge keeps his dagger close to him and takes one last breath before they charge into battle.

Then it all goes blurry and hazy. There are screams everywhere. The sound of metal clashing against metal fills Dodge's ears. The scent of fresh blood protrudes into his nose, the distressed facial expressions of everyone around him is stuck inside his head. Dodge looks around hectically.

The District One girl, Queenie, has two arrows stuck in her legs, leaving her with a limp. She's having difficulties evading and blocking Viva's aggressive and persistent attacks.

On the other side of the battlefield, Plum has her eyes set on the pair from Four who circle around her like two wild animals.

Theodora is doing a good job of shooting arrows at the District Four pair who have Plum outnumbered. But where is Falcon? Dodge's heart makes a halt. Blindly and without hesitation he runs in Theo's direction only to realize that Falcon had already reached her, ramming the girl with his shield. Theo lets out a scream for help. 'NO, THEO!' Dodge claws himself onto the career's back as he leaves Theodora's corpse behind. Smoothly he gashes and slashes Falcon's back with his dagger, finally sticking it into the side of the male's neck.

When Dodge returns to the other's his head is even dizzier. The smell of the blood won't leave him be. His eyes burn and it is getting increasingly harder to walk through the mucky wasteland.

His memory and everything he seems to have known disappears. Queenie is dead, and so is Plum. Viva shouts for help as the girl from Four disarms her and holds her back while the boy from Four punctures her stomach with his spear. This was it. Everyone died. Maybe he's dead too and doesn't even know it. Maybe he didn't even win against the career back there. Maybe Theo is still alive. Meara and Zenith pierce Dodge's soul with their flashy and deadly eyes as they throw his district partner's body onto the ground. 'Hello, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Death...' Dodge mumbles before the cornucopia explodes next to the District Four Pair, sending Dodge flying against a tree stump. He can't see anymore. It's all black. He can only hear.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 182nd Hunger Games, Dodge Choi!'

* * *

_**Okay, so we're back with our first batch of mentors: Cayenne, Cerulean, Valhalla, and Dodge. I decided to split the victor introductions into three parts because I didn't expect each POV to get so long but oh well... what can ya do? I'm trying to make each mentor story as unique as possible so it stays interesting for you guys to read. Anyway, so two more mentor chapters and then one more subplot chapter. **_

_**Subs are still open! I have plenty of spaces that need to be filled and I'd love to have a tribute from anyone who is reading. The submission deadline will stay until end of September/beginning of October and I'll be releasing the three prologues left, weekly. So, I am really trying to get as many submissions as possible since I do want to have an interesting cast of characters to work with. I've already received some great submissions which I am so happy about and hope to receive even more. **_

_**What I could use: Racially diverse tributes (!), Tributes with offensive superpowers (that can be convenient for combat)**_

_**After the next chapter, I'll probably close some spots where I think I have what I need so people can focus on the other spots**_

_**I'd love to know which story out of the four was your favorite!**_

_**Anyway, see everyone next time! Bye!**_


	3. Mentors: Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind

Noor El Deeb, 16

District Seven Female

* * *

Games: The 185th Hunger Games

Arena: The Looming Frost

Tributes remaining: Carmen Frayer D1F, Voya Luxton D1M, Noor El Deeb D7F, Daxx Telleigh D11M, Isabella Akudo D12F

x

The Frost is coming.

The Frost is coming.

The Frost is coming.

These words that have been passed along through the intercom in the arena are permanently engraved into Noor's mind. What is the Frost? It had to be what the gamemakers have been saving for the Finale. It had to be something grand to end the Games with a big bang.

So far the arena was quite simple, not at all fitting to the new era of invention and innovation where every gamemaker tries to grab the audience's attention with tricks that they've been hiding up their sleeves and, to be frank, European woods aren't really the most inventive battlefield to choose from.

Playing chess has taught Noor three important rules which she applies in her everyday life. Anticipate. Prepare. Always be one step ahead.

Only through these steps has she been able to become the chess champion that she is today.

And so Noor is chopping down trees, just the way she's been doing for the past two days. Cutting, collecting, and building. She is almost finished with her nice and sturdy hut, able to withstand whatever that Frost thing is. With only a handful of tributes left, this twist has to be closer than ever and Noor isn't going to put her life in fate's hands. Fate will never reward you. If you leave it up to fate, then you are weak and unprepared and if you are unprepared then everyone in life will take advantage of you.

And then the alarm sounds. 'Let The Frost commence.'

'Oh no…' Quickly Noor lets the pile of wood in her arms fall, hurrying back to her hut. She runs as fast as she can, feeling the temperature in the arena drop rapidly as the winds start to increase. The Frost is here. The Frost is now. The alarm continues to sound, adding an eerie effect to the already haunting atmosphere in these lonely woods.

Noor enters her hut, slams the door shut, and takes out all of her food supply. She wraps herself in a warm, cozy blanket, which she's been sponsored with, the pile of food between her legs, and waits. Never in her entire life has she experienced that much adrenaline flowing through her system. Not even when she's figured out how to beat her opponent in a game of chess. Even then it wouldn't be the same. The adrenaline rush she feels while playing chess is a sadistic one. The expression on her opponent's face when they know that they've lost is priceless. This adrenaline flow is different. This is fear of the unknown. Fear of not being able to prepare the way she always does. Fear of dying.

Within minutes, the once warm and bright skies and the beautiful, fresh green landscapes are covered in a white haze that swallows the arena whole. Noor can feel the storm in her body. The sheer strength of this catastrophe rattles Noor's hut, makes the floor rattle, makes her arms and legs shake. Noor wraps the blanket tighter around herself, trying to block everything out.

_Boom_. One person down.

_Boom_. Another person down.

What is happening? Have none of these tributes been paying attention to the intercom? Only two more cannons and Noor can go home to her father and hug him tightly. Only two more. Come on.

_Boom._

Noor's hut starts to crack. The screws loosen, the wood breaks apart, the icy winds squeeze themselves into her sheltered home. 'OPEN UP!' someone from the outside bangs on her door. A male voice. 'I'll kill you!' OPEN UP!' Voya, the male from District One. Be one step ahead. That was and will always be the rule. Noor reaches for her bow and slides an arrow out of her quiver. She pulls the arrow back and faces the door silently. The sound of someone trying to break into her home sends shivers down Noor's spine but she won't let that fear take over. With all of his might, Voya, throws himself against the door, breaking it open. He's pale like a ghost, ice particles have formed on his eyelashes and his lips are an arctic blue. He can barely walk and yet he doesn't give up. Instead, he stumbles towards Noor, trying to carry himself on his two feet without falling over from exhaustion.

One step ahead.

Before he even gets close to her, Noor sends her arrow flying his way. It hits him in the gut which usually wouldn't be a lethal shot but in his state, it was enough to bring him to his knees. His body twitches on the ground but eventually goes into a resting state.

_Boom._

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 185th Hunger Games, Noor El Deeb!'

* * *

Coda Rovéra, 17

District Six Male

* * *

Games: The 177th Hunger Games

Arena: Temple of Ragnarok

Tributes remaining: Shirley Sandbrook D5F, Coda Rovéra D6M

x

The Death God, in the form of a resting skeleton with ruby red eyes, sits atop the throne as the ground beneath Coda and Shirley starts to shake. The two of them stand there, holding hands, knowing that one of them has to die in order for the other to make it home.

'What's happening?!' Shirley lets go of his hand. She turns her head frantically trying to grasp the situation.

'It's the finale…' Coda trails off into nothingness.

'What do we do?!' Shirley shouts in panic, still not able to focus her gaze on one single spot. Everything around them is falling apart, quite literally, and yet all Coda has on his mind is that beautiful girl standing next to him. _Don't fall in love, _he had told himself before the Games. He's fallen in love so many times before the Games, each girl breaking his heart one after the other. All his friends and even his mother kept telling him that he gets fooled far too easily. But how can love be foolish?

'We run.' Coda takes her by the arm and jolts out of the room where they'd just killed the District Three male. To win he has to kill her but he can't do it now, not like this. He has to act first and think later.

Shirley and coda squeeze themselves through the tight corridors and the narrow hallways. The debris crashing down from above, creating storms of dust, makes it hard to breathe.

'I can't see, Coda. I can't see!'

'Just hold on to my hand! Trust me. We can do this!'

The two of them finally reach a quiet spot that hasn't been tainted by death yet. The rumbles of the collapsing temple still echo in the background. Coda looks over at Shirley, she having a solemn expression on her face. 'What's wrong?' he asks her.

'Why did you do it? Why did you save me?' her eyes glisten.

'Because I love you,' Coda whispers, taking a step closer to her.

'One of us is going to die, Coda... you know that.'

'I don't want to think about that right now.' he places his hands on her waist, holding her tightly, one of his hands sliding up to cup her cheek.

'But-' Shirley starts before they lock lips.

Her lips are tender and soft and they make him forget things, things he never ever wants to remember again. She makes him forget the arena, she makes him forget that they have to kill each other…

Kill each other…

A stinging pain in his side makes him pull away from Shirley. It must have been the dust accumulating in his lungs and yet when he glances back at Shirley, she's crying. Not tearing up, but actually crying.

'I'm so sorry, Coda.' she spits out before revealing her blood-stained dagger. The pain in his side increases again. He covers the area with his hand to control the pain but is greeted by a thick, warm liquid. And when the moment of realization hits him, his legs go weak and he stumbles back.

'No…why would you…?' he tries to breathe but all the air has been knocked out of his chest.

'What do you mean _'why'_?' her tone is filled with spite now. 'What did you think was going to happen, Coda? Did you think we were going to get married, have kids, live a happy life in the arena? I… I don't know about you but I want to go home. I want to see my mom and my dad and my brother and all my friends. I want to be home…'

She doesn't hesitate before pointing her weapon at him again. 'And for me to be home… you have to die.' These words hurt so much. They hurt more than the physical pain he feels. These words cut like a knife.

Coda can't kill her because he doesn't have the guts to. Everyone in Six was right. He is weak, pathetic, a fool. He doesn't even dare reach for his sword because he already knows the outcome. 'Kill me, Shirley.' he can't believe he just said that but it has been said and now it cannot be unsaid.

'Thank you, Coda. I'll always remember you, okay?'

Coda closes his eyelids. Although he knows that his life is going to be cut short now, he's found someone who will always remember him, always love him, cherish him. He's ready to leave the world now. The sound of rocks falling from the ceiling interrupt his thought and as he opens his eyes again, half expecting Shirley to have already placed her dagger against his throat, he realizes that she is nowhere to be seen.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 177th Hunger Games, Coda Rovéra!'

And then he sees it. One single arm reaching out of a pile of debris, clutching a dagger, blood oozing out between the cracks of the rocks.

* * *

Seven Smirnov, 14

District Three Female

* * *

Games: The 195th Hunger Games

Arena: Italian Seaside Town

Tributes remaining: Seven Smirnov D3F, Supernova Eclipsus D4F, Naksh Khatri D8M

x

Gently, Seven dips her pale toes in the ocean water. She'll never get used to the feeling of the cool water caressing her skin. Back in Three, they don't have that kind of stuff. They don't have beaches, and large bodies of water, and gorgeous people with perfectly chiseled, tanned bodies the way they do in Four. In Three they have large skyscrapers, busy streets, people walking with their phones stuck to their faces, just like zombies.

District Three just wasn't the place for a girl like Seven. Seven is someone who likes to be free and to explore life, someone who wishes that they didn't get a sunburn whenever they received even the slightest exposure to the sun.

She feels so out of place being together with the last two people in the arena. Both of them, the most beautiful human beings she's ever seen. Nova, a goddess in human form with her bronze skin and her muscular thighs and her golden locks that curl down to her waist. And then there is Naksh. Beautiful, androgynous, confusing Naksh. Naksh and Seven spoke once, that being when he rejected her invitation to an alliance, his tender voice just as enchanting as she thought it would be.

And then there was Seven. Sunburnt, sloppy Seven with a number for a name.

It's pretty obvious what is going to happen. The arena is going to be flooded, allowing the predators that lurk in the dark depths of the water to properly reach the remaining tributes. It's not like Seven hasn't seen the fins peeking out of the ocean or how the water level is slowly starting to rise. She knows that if at any time she found herself in the water, together with the sharks and the District Four girl, wielding her spear, it would mean certain death which is exactly why she planned her escape when the flooding happens.

'The water's nice, huh?' Seven's heart drops. Immediately, she pulls her toes out of the water and puts some distance between the all too familiar voice and herself. 'Oh, lord. Relax, would you?' a figure climbs down from one of the balconies, belonging to the colorful houses that decorate the shoreline. It's Naksh.

'W-what do you want?' she stutters. Well, clearly sounding all though and confident isn't fully working out for her.

'I think both you and I have figured out what is going to happen...or am I wrong?' he tilts his head slightly towards the water.

'Yeah, and?' she doesn't trust him one bit. He rejected her alliance offer so why is he being all friendly towards her now?

'Well, I guess you're not as smart as I thought you were,' he says turning his back on her. 'Goodbye then, and may the best tribute win.'

'No, no wait! I'm sorry! I was playing dumb! I-I-I already figured it all out, I swear! I even made an escape plan!' Seven spits out in a messy mush of words. _'Wow, you're that fucking desperate, aren't you?_' she thinks to herself.

'Well we better hurry.'

'Why?'

'Behind you.' Seven follows Naksh's instructions and looks at the ocean.

'HOLY FUCK!' she screams, perhaps a bit too loudly. The beautiful and distant sea view has been replaced by a dawning tidal wave that seems to be getting bigger and bigger the closer it gets to where Seven stands. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, she grabs Naksh's warm hand and drags him behind her. Seven leads him into one of the houses. They ascend the spiraling staircase until they reach the attic. From there, Seven and Naksh pull open a hidden door, attached to the ceiling. Naksh helps Seven to reach the top, she then, pulling him from upstairs. They make it onto the rooftop of the house. 'Wow, this is...beautiful,' Naksh says in astonishment. And it really is. The collecting of tiny, orange, rustic rooftops combined truly is a wonderful sight to behold. But they don't have time for that. 'We need to continue,' she says abruptly, interrupting the peaceful silence. Seven jumps from rooftop to rooftop with Naksh doing the same behind her, following her every move. They are making their way towards the large belltower, protruding between the many houses.

Seven looks back at Naksh and smiles, he smiling back at her. 'This is awesome!' he shouts, falling with his arms.

'Hell yeah!' she shouts back. There's this warmth in her heart for a split second like she's finally happy, finally free like she's always wanted to be. No busy streets, no polluted skies, no irritating sounds coming from the outside of her isolated window. Only her and Naksh and the ocean breeze gently hitting her skin. No limitations, only freedom. 'We can do this, Naksh, we can do this!' excitedly she smiles at him once more but the smile isn't returned because Naksh isn't running behind her anymore. Seven stops. Where is he? 'Naksh?! Where'd you run off to?!' And then she sees it. The body, lying behind her on one of the rooftops. No, it can't be. It shouldn't be. She sprints back as fast as she can to the collapsed body.

'Naksh! Are you okay?!' she flips him onto his back. Blood trickles down the side of his lip. He's still breathing, meaning that he hasn't died yet. 'Oh my god… Naksh.' Then she sees it. The dart wedged into the side of his neck.

'Run…' he wheezes. Just as his eyelids give in, another dart comes soaring towards Seven. She throws herself to the ground, barely evading the shot. Immediately, Seven turns her attention towards the origin of the shot and that is when she spots Nova, the girl from Four. Nova winks at Seven before placing her lips on the gun once more, ready to take aim. Seven, about to make a run for it, stops as she feels the ground beneath her shake just as a loud and hollow crashing sound comes from the seaside.

The wave finally hit the shore and it was bigger than Seven could have ever imagined. The buildings on the seaside are torn apart by the sheer power of the current as the water forces itself through the narrow alleys of the town. Another rumbling causes nova to lose her balance and fall on her back. This was Seven's opening. She runs as fast as she can towards Nova, tackling her back to the ground just as she tried to get up again. The two of them roll back and forth on the ground, grunting and growling, until Nova presses her foot into Seven's stomach, kicking her away. Seven jumps to her feet again, taking out her small knife and holding it in front of her. Nova laughs. 'Sure,' she mocks. From the corner of her eye, Seven can spot the blowgun that the girl had dropped earlier after the fall.

She makes a run for it. Nova not wasting any time standing around chases after Seven who barely has any chance of even getting close to the weapon before she can feel Nova's fingertips touching her back.

That was the moment where Seven knew that Nova had lost the Game. Quickly, Seven ducks on the ground as if bracing for impact. Nova unable to properly control the speed at which she was chasing after Seven is unable to stop her feet in time, instead, tripping over Seven's huddled body and falling face-first off the rooftop and into the rapid currents below.

'Take that, bitch.' she points her middle finger to the water just as the final boom rings.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 195th Hunger Games, Seven Smirnov!'

* * *

Atmos Martinez, 18

District Four Male

* * *

Games: The 190th Hunger games.

Arena: Prehistoric Dinosaur Land

Tributes Remaining: Tasha Crimson D1F, Luxor Cayne D1M, Mariko Watanabe D2F, Fyndra Gillhood D4F, Atmos Martinez D4M

x

The meteor shower started about three hours ago when everything was still calm and just the way it was supposed to be. Well, just the way it was supposed to be in an arena inhabited by dinosaurs. The Gamemakers were kind enough to give Atmos and the rest of the tributes some basic lessons about different types of dinosaurs and how to approach them.

With the help of the gamemaker tips, Atmos successfully tamed an ornithomimus after the careers threw him out of their pack, due to him being, as they put it, too annoying.

Atmos knows he isn't everyone's cup of tea and he doesn't really care. Why should he? If you don't like him, well, you can just go…

'Fuck!' Atmos shouts, falling down from his ornithomimus. 'You can't do that, Jeff. You can't keep tryin' to throw me off like that,' he scolds his dinosaur. He climbs on top of Jeff's back and the two of them continue traveling along the plains, trying to evade any meteor that could potentially hit them.

He sees Fyndra, his District Partner, in the distance, running from a triceratops. Atmos can't help but laugh a little. 'Hey, Fyndra!' he calls for her. She turns her head, still running for her life.

'Screw you, Atmos! Go to hell,' she spits out.

'Love you too, Fyndra!' he gets closer, now running alongside the triceratops, chasing her. 'So, where are the others?' he asks gently.

'We split up, now help me!' Fyndra's face is covered in sweat.

'Nah, I'm good. But don't worry, I can help you end the suffering.' Atmos wields his spear in front of him, signaling Jeff to run faster. Before passing Fyndra, he swings his spear with one quick motion, decapitating the District Four girl.

'Now let's find the other three, Jeff, how about that? This is why revenge is so sweet.' he cracks a wicked smile.

Atmos made sure not to enter the jungle area so he can keep a good eye on the meteors. He doesn't really understand why the other careers had to be so mean to him. Tasha kept saying that he's a big baboon, Luxor kept complaining about how unbearable he is, and Mariko was persistent in whispering false little things about him. No matter how hard he tried to fit in with them, they just kept pushing him away. They made him feel like an outlier and Atmos can't forgive them for doing that.

Traveling with Jeff was so easy and fast. He was able to cover the arena's diameter in two hours. 'Hey, Luxor! Sup, dude?' Atmos waves at the male from One with excitement. Luxor clenches his teeth as he sees Atmos approaching. The resentment in his eyes is so deliciously obvious that Atmos can't wait to cut through the boy's flesh. Something isn't quite right. Why isn't Luxor moving or at least making an effort to prepare for the attack? Before Atmos is able to properly gather his thoughts, Jeff lets out a painfully sounding screech. 'Jeff, my boy, relax!'. Once the arrow stuck in Jeff's hip reveals itself, Atmos understands the predicament he's found himself in.

It was an ambush. Tasha steps out from between the bushes, preparing another arrow, this time aiming for Atmos. The boy from Four knows that he has to abandon his dinosaur, Jeff, in order to win. 'Im so sorry, you were the only true friend I had,' he whispers to his ornithomimus before jumping off of him.

He charges at Tasha with full speed. 'Luxor!' she cries. Luxor is a coward, he's not going to help her. Knowing that, Atmos doesn't have to watch his back for an incoming attack from the District One male. She tries to shoot another arrow but misses. It is becoming evidently clear that Tasha should have used her time more wisely, perhaps spending more time at the archery station, instead of desperately trying to flirt with her District partner. Atmos raises his spear and brings it down at Tasha, embedding the head of the spear in her chest. Wasting no time, he picks up the bow and arrow and aims for Luxor. The latter tries to run, being the coward that he is, but Amtos never misses and today isn't going to be the first time that he does. The arrow soars through the air until confirming that it hit its target as the boy's body collapses on the ground.

Three down, one more to go. Mariko Watanabe. The scariest out of all the careers this year. She was definitely hiding somewhere within the jungle. She isn't one to be roaming the open fields. Mariko is stealthy. The jungle is her home. It wasn't before he wandered through the towering tropics for half a day, that he realized something stuck to his calf. He wedges the mysterious object out of his flesh, only to notice the object's oddness. It was a tiny spiked metal ball with green liquid slowly dripping out of the protruding needles. And then the dizziness hits him. He rests his hand on one of the trees to keep his balance.

'Pathetic.' Mariko's voice cackles from behind him. Atmos tries to ready his spear but is too slow. Mariko explodes into a flying kick, sending Atmos sprawling across the floor. It becomes increasingly hard for Atmos to understand what is happening or where he is as the venom fuses more and more with his blood. Mariko presses her foot against his chest, squeezing the air out of Atmos' lungs. 'No one ever liked you. We made fun of you every single fucking day,' she laughs. 'I can't believe you made it that far. Honestly, I was sure I was going to be facing off against Tasha in the finale. But, oh well, guess it's you.' Atmos tries to move his fingertips and feels something round and solid next to him. He's not sure what it is but it might just be his saving grace. Wrapping his hand around it, he slams it against Mariko's ankle. She squeals, falling to the floor next to him. Atmos lifts his body on top of the District Two girl. He pounds the object against her head over and over until she stops struggling and he hears the cannon he longed for so dearly.

Atmos' vision goes completely blurry. He plops down next to her, trying to catch his breath.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 190th Hunger Games, Atmos Martinez!'

* * *

**Hey, guys! So, these were our second mentor introductions. We have chess prodigy Noor, foolish Coda, sunburnt Seven, and vengeful Atmos. I'd love to know who was your favorite and who was your least favorite out of these mentors. I'm having a lot of fun actually writing these different scenarios and this time I had the idea of trying to combine the four natural elements into four different arenas. Wind/air was represented in Noor's POV, earth was represented in Coda's POV, water was represented in Seven's POV, and fire was represented in Atmos' POV.**

**So, let's get down to business. On my profile, I have closed some spots. These spots that say 'spot filled' is where I have decided on who I want. This doesn't mean that I like these submissions the most but it means that I know I want them in the story because I have an idea of what I want to do with them. We still have two more intro chapters until submissions start to close and I still need more tributes. **

**Spots that have zero submissions: **

**\- POV-Spot: D3F**

**\- Non-POV-Spot: D2F, D4F, D7M, D10F, D11M, D12F**

**The other spots that aren't closed already have some submissions but feel free top submit there as well! I'll probably end up changing some spots to different Districts anyway.**

**Just so people understand: My stories are very character-driven so I promise you that the Non-POV tributes will still get a ton of screentime. So don't worry about that.**

**I could definitely use younger tributes (14 and below) and more racially diverse tributes (I know I'm pushing with the whole diversity thing).**

**I don't think there's anything else I need to mention, except maybe that new submitters are welcome! I have received several tributes from the same authors so please don't shy away from submitting. I'll definitely prioritize submitters who have only sent in one tribute and I'll try to make it as evened out as possible :)**

**Okay, now I don't have anything else to say. Goodbye. See you next time. Love you. **


	4. Mentors: A Game For Snakes

Josiah Okoye, 17

District Eleven Male

* * *

Games: the 189th Hunger Games

Arena: The El Royale Casino

Tributes remaining: Belladonna Rotto D6F, Josiah Okoye D11M, Malik Mohsen D12M

x

It felt rather strange at first. The warm, thick blood smeared all over his dark body, dripping down on the carpet floor as if he were a melting ice cream cone.

It isn't _his_ blood, that's for sure. Josiah came into this game, telling himself that he wasn't going to hurt a fly. That he'd rather die than give up everything he stands for. His integrity is everything to him. If he doesn't live by his standards he might as well not live at all.

And yet the Games have their own sneaky little ways of making you turn even on your own morals. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,' Josiah says blankly, without the slightest hint of emotion. He rips the dagger out of the girl's body one more time before wiping the blood-stained weapon on her chest.

'Jasmine, you there?' Bella, the girl from Six, enters the dining hall, looking for her friend. Upon seeing Josia on top of her ally, the blood gushing out of her body, the girl lets out a high pitched scream. No time to think about his actions, Josiah abandons his victim, heading for Bella.

Malik, the boy from Twelve, also makes his appearance in the hall, after hearing Bella's screams. Josiah, surprised by the number of enemies surrounding him at once, loses the girl from Six as he sees her jolting up the staircase and disappearing around a corner. 'Wow, weren't you the one who spoke at the interviews of how you were determined to stay human and what not?'

'Did you?'

'Did I what?'

'Stay human.'

'Ha! No way.' Malik seems to have no problem strolling around the area like he owns the place, knowing it inside out. 'But, here's the thing, I knew I wasn't going to stay pure and cleansed coming out of this. No one does. That's why I always thought you were an idiot.'

'You don't understand… I-I wanted to. I was sure that I was going to… I was… sure.' Josiah trails off, realizing that the boy isn't really interested in hearing him out.

'You're a liar and it's fine. Aren't we all? Just own up to it and don't be such a crybaby.' he rolls his eyes. 'So… are we gonna like fight, or what?'

Josiah's feeling unsure. He's not feeling confident. He really is a liar and, most importantly, a murderer, a monster. Part of him doesn't want to accept that fact, accept the fact that he isn't as pure as his mother raised him to be, that there is something dark inside of him, something dark that didn't even hesitate to murder that girl back there. That part of him also realizes that it is too late to turn back now.

Malik, fiddles with his dual swords playfully. His eyes show no mercy, only bloodlust. It's like Josiah is staring into his own reflection. Malik hops onto one of the tables, covered with a white sheet. He bounces from table to table, letting his arms trails behind him.

All Josiah has is a knife but It'll have to do. He bends his knees in a defensive stance, readying himself for Malik's attack. The boy from twelve, finally, leaps down from one of the tables and brings down his two swords towards Josiah. This is it. Josiah presses his eyes shut, unable to accept the fact that he's about to die.

Malik screams at the top of his lungs as he's knocked to the side, before being able to reach Josiah, a knife sticking out of his stomach. Josiah looks back at the balcony, overlooking the dining hall. There Bella stands, vengeful as ever. 'This is for Jasmine.' she tosses a second knife. It barely misses Josiah, leaving a small cut on his left cheek. Bella hurries down the stairs, throwing another knife. This time Josiah actually has to evade it. Vengeful people are the scariest kind of people. They have nothing holding them back, only their lust pushing them forward. He ducks down behind one of the tables. There must be a way for him to get close to her. Every now and then he'd peek over the table he's hiding beneath, checking if she's on to him. From the looks of it, the District Six girl has lost sight of him.

As soon as she turns her head, Josiah jump to another table. He was going to use Malik's strategy but in a sneakier way. 'Stop hiding and fucking fight me already!' she seems to be getting angrier. Might be the fear starting to get to her. Fear of the unknown. That is good. Josiah's adrenaline starts to kick in as he gets closer and closer, Bella still looking around worried like she'd just gotten lost in a forest. One more table and Josiah would be close enough to pounce. His hands touch the soft floor gently, ready to crawl to the last table.

His foot hits one of the table's legs, causing the cutlery to move, alerting the girl. 'Sneaky bastard…' she mutters, going in for the kill. Before she's able to get a headstart, Josiah jumps up and throws himself at her, locking his arms around her body. The two fall to the ground. Bella lets out a scream. They tumble around for a while. Josiah tries to slide his knife out but fails as the girl persistently punches and kicks him all over his body, some areas hurting more than others. Bella finds a fork, lying next to her. She aims for Josiah's neck. Instinctively, he blocks the attack with his hand, the fork protruding through his flesh, reappearing on the other side. He growls as her eyes widen with horror. It seems like she, herself, is failing to comprehend how she is capable of hurting another person.

This is his window of opportunity. He slashes his knife across her throat swiftly, watching the blood ooze out. Her eyes, still in shock, start to close gently before the canon sounds.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 189th Hunger Games, Josiah Okoye!'

* * *

Karin Desmarais, 18

District Two Female

* * *

Games: The 152nd Hunger Games

Arena: Railroad Island

Tributes remaining: Karin Desmarais D2F, Sicily Maughd D3F, Frey O'Shaw D7M

x

'He's so scary tho!' Sicily exclaims leaning back against the mountain wall.

'Yeah, I know.' Karin splashes her face with some water from a small stream, flowing down the hill. 'I was hoping he wouldn't last till the end. But it doesn't matter. We just have to deal with it now and I'm pretty sure we'll be able to take him down together.'

You might call Karin an unconventional career. After her career pack died out due to being split up repeatedly, Karin found her key to victory in Sicily. Yes, she might only be fourteen and, yes, she was going to get a lot of hate for allying with an outlier but it doesn't matter. Unlike with the careers, there was less talk about kill counts, murdering kids, and who was going to win. Sicily and Karin talked about what their life was like before the Games. What they'd do in their free time. What kind of friends they'd had. Besides that, the girl was smart and had an eye for detail. Thanks to her they avoided an incoming landslide as well as a train collision.

'We only have one hour left before our thingies...y'know… explode.' she fiddles with the collar around her neck.

Not only is Karin unconventional but so is the arena. Gamemaker, Euterpe, was intent on shaking things up as always. The arena consists of mountainous regions and underground tunnels, all connected through railroads with specific trains leading to certain areas. All the tributes were given a digital map of the arena that shows all the train lines. The trick is that twice per day different areas would light up on the map. Each tribute would then have to make their way to that area before the time on their collar runs out and they explode into smithereens. It was an obvious way to get tributes closer together and stir chaos. Every time Sicily and Karin had to go to different areas, they'd agree on an area where they'd meet up after they accomplished their task.

Now, in the finale, it was obvious that all the players were given the same location. Frey, the boy from Seven has been the frontrunner of this competition since he volunteered. He spoke about saving his mother or something but Karin didn't buy it. She knows there is more to it. She sees it in his glistening eyes, seeking fame, she sees it when he walks around the training hall, looking as confident as ever. And, honestly, it doesn't matter right now why he volunteered. What matters is that all Capitol bets are on him.

'Alright, Sicily, I think we should get going because-'

'I'm scared.' Karin's heart melts as she turns around to see the girl's eyes watering. Karin hurries over to her and envelops her in a warm hug.

'It's okay…' she whispers, her lips touching Sicily's forehead. 'We knew it was going to come to this, huh?' she offers the girl a smile. 'There's no reason to be scared… no matter what happens I'll be by your side and I'll protect you.'

'You don't understand!' she shouts. 'I-I-I don't care if I die, okay? I just need… _you _to make it home. I have nothing back in District Three. _Nothing_. My parents don't care… my friends don't care… nobody cares… they all just want to survive… they're all just sick, selfish bastards.' she sniffs and covers her face in Karin's chest.

Karin hushes gently as she caresses Sicily's hair. 'It's going to be alright, you're going to be alright.'

Sicily looks into Karin's eyes, still hugging her. 'Thank you, Karin… thank you for this friendship you've given me.'

Sicily's tender and vulnerable facial expression vanishes as she yells in pain, falling completely into Karin's arms, the latter falling over, hitting the ground. 'Sicily, what's wrong?!' Karin looks around hectically and sees it. She sees the axe sticking out of Sicily's back. 'Sicily, wake up! I said wake up! SICILY! FUCK!' she shakes the girl's body with all her might, trying to restore her innocent life.

Another axe comes flying. Karin tilts her body to the side. Frey walks up to the murder site slowly. 'Oops…' he places his finger on his lips in a cheeky manner.

'You monster…' She raises her broad swoard, making the boy from Seven her target. Frey takes out his hunter knife and gets into combat stance. Karin's aware that he's aiming to reach his axes but she isn't going to let him.

She charges at the boy who stays calm, not moving an inch. Once close enough, Karin brings the sword down on him but misses as he slides past her, between her legs. Frey sprints to his weapons. At this point, she wouldn't be able to get to him before he reclaims his axes. There's only one thing she can do now. She's done it before, it has worked, rarely, but she's done it.

Karin focuses on Frey, lifts her sword high up, the pointy edge falling behind her back, she closes her eyes and tosses the sword, watching it twist and turn in the air, flying in a surprisingly straight line. Frey grabs one of his axes, turns his body, ready to aim for Karin, but is greeted by Karin's sword digging itself into his abdomen.

_Boom._

'It worked! Oh my god! It worked…' Karin's legs give in, she burrows her face with her hands. 'It worked…' She crawls over to Sicily and gently slides the girl's eyes shut with her thumb and her index finger. 'I failed you…' Karin collapses next to her deceased friend, the tears running down her face, mixing with the sweat and blood. 'I'm sorry…'

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 152nd Hunger Games, Karin Desmarais!'

* * *

Applebee McMavis, 12

District Nine Male

* * *

Games: The 179th Hunger Games

Arena: Drylands

Tributes Remaining: Harmonee Odenson D1F, Vince Heffron D1M, Rogue Dupris D2F, Blade Aozora D2M, Salima Marts D4F, Sheldon Carty D4M, AppleBee McMavis D9M

x

There isn't much space for Bee to move freely inside the hole. Wiggling his toes and latching his fingers onto the edge, to pull himself out, is just about as much flexibility as he has. It doesn't matter, however. What matters is to keep a low profile because right out there, on the surface, are where the big players are. The careers.

Bee still has trouble remembering what exactly did happen during the bloodbath. Varya, his district partner, died at the hands of the District Two female, that he can recall. It was definitely a bloody feast this year with limbs flying across the battleground and screams synchronizing in a beautifully harmonious orchestra of pain and suffering.

There was no way Bee was going to look out for anyone but himself. And only himself. After grabbing a backpack laying next to a bunch of other backpacks, a particularly oddly-shaped hole in the ground, next to the cornucopia, caught his eye. Realizing that the number of tributes at the cornucopia were dwindling down and soon the attention was going to be turned towards him, he slung his backpack across his shoulder and snuck into that hole.

It's been six days now, six days full of uncomfortable, looming anxiety. Not only for Bee, but also for the careers. If there is one thing Bee realized, then it is that the careers really don't get along. At all. These past few days, there's been non stop arguing between the trained killers. Whether it'd be about a knife that went missing or one of them snoring too loudly, there was never a moment of peace between them and Bee knew that he needed to use that to his advantage.

Every night he'd sneak out of his hole, grab something from the career's supplies and hide it, causing more discord and today is the day, he's aiming for a lot of chaos.

'Where is that little prick?!' Harmonee stomps around the campsite like an angry baboon. 'I can't anymore, I seriously can't! I just want to find that boy, slit his throat, and get to the real battle so I can get out of this goddamn shithole and-'

'Would you shut up for a minute?' Rogue, the girl from Two, interrupts Harmonee's tantrum. She sits on the floor, legs crossed, hands leaning against the dusty surface.

'Go to hell Rogue. You've been nothing but a bitch so far so how about you go-'

'Alright, ladies, let's calm down a tad bit, shall we?' Vince gets in between Harmonee and Rogue.

'Butt out, Vince! I'm going to kill this girl, I swear!' Harmonee tries to tackle Rogue but is intercepted by Sheldon who pins her to the ground. 'Get off me you idiot!'

'I think we've had enough drama for today.' Blade rolls his eyes. 'It's late, let's just go to bed.'

After a couple of minutes, everyone settles down, wrapped up in their sleeping bags. Now it was time for Bee to crawl out. He makes sure to keep his eyes on the ground as not to step on supplies, waking the careers. He makes his way over to Rogue, dagger in his left hand. Rogue's long, silky, ashen hair cover her pale cheeks. Bee knows that she's the one to kill. The blame will automatically be directed at Harmonee who made her resentment towards Rogue very clear. His heart races but it has to be done. He readies his right hand and shuts the District Two girl's mouth with it. The moment she tore her eyes open, Bee plunges the knife into her heart. She barely had time to react before the life was ripped away from her. Quietly, he slithers back into his hole.

The following day, everything goes as planned.

'Oh my god!' Salima screams, waking up the rest of the pack.

'What, what, what?!' Sheldon jumps up, running to his partner. His eyes glide over to the murder scene. It takes a few moments for him to truly process the situations. Immediately, he looks at Harmonee who's just in shock as everyone else. 'Don't pretend… it was _you_, wasn't it?'

'Me?!' She rests her hand on her chest, dramatically. 'We agreed that we'd only go for each other once everyone else was dead so why would I betray you guys? I'm not fucking stupid!'

'I always knew you were impulsive… but I never thought you'd really play such a dirty game…' Blade ushers, eyes staring into nothingness, still impacted by the death of his District partner.

'Are we really just going to point fingers towards Harmonee?' Vince, once more, takes his partner's side, trying to handle the situation.

'Yeah, how do we know it wasn't the District Nine boy?' Salima, finally ads her input to the blame game.

'Don't be stupid, Salima, we would have known if it was the boy. He couldn't have snuck past all of us… and even if he would have made it to our camp, why target specifically Rogue.' Vince shuts her down.

'To make us do exactly this, point fingers. We can't fall for-'

'I think it was Sheldon,' Vince interrupts Salima. 'He, who out of all people expressed the most how he hated the way Rogue was sulking all the time.'

'Don't do that, Vince…' Sheldon coils his hands into fists. 'You know that I'm a man of my word…'

'I think you… are a murderer.'

And with that phrase Bee watches the chaos unfold. Sheldon picks up his sword and charges at Vince. Vince tries to arm himself as well but fails as Sheldon slashes his stomach. Vince coughs out blood, watching his innards spill onto the floor.

Harmonee retreats, grabbing her bow. She loads it with an arrow and points her weapon towards Sheldon, who is still staring at Vince's lifeless body. Both Salima and Blade take cover. 'Go die in hell!' she lets the arrow fly, hitting Sheldon's shoulder. He shouts in agony but wastes no time, disappearing behind the cornucopia. Harmonee follows his trail. Bee can't see what is happening back there. He hears metal clashing against metal and, finally, a boom rings. Blade and Salima stare at each other, both realising that there is no going back now and that the final battle has begun. Salima, slides out her knife and pounces at the boy from Two. She stabs at him repeatedly, the boom ringing in unison with the boy's last scream of pain.

Salima, getting to her feet, is surprised as the remaining career, Harmonee, hits the District Four girl's lower back with a sledgehammer. Salima, collapsed on the ground, sticks her knife into Harmonee's leg. The girl winces but bashes her sledgehammer into Salima's head repeatedly until there's nothing left but a mush of brains and skull.

The sledgehammer slips out of Harmonee's hands, she, lifting her head to face the sky. Bee crawls out of his hole for the last time. This was his shot. The girl is recovering from the battle that just took place. She's unsuspecting. She's weak. She's easy prey. He sprints towards Harmonee, dagger lifted, and ready to attack. She hears the footsteps behind her but is too late to react as the weapon enters her gut. Bee twists the knife and adds pressure before pulling his weapon out. Harmonee falls to her knees.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 179th Hunger Games, Applebee McMavis!'

* * *

Nivea Godness, 16

District Five Female

* * *

Games: The 181st Hunger Games

Arena: Mountainous Heights

Tributes remaining: Nivea Godness D5F, Lupei Karrigan D8M

x

He has her cornered, not good. The young boy's copper hair falls to his shoulders in curls, his gentle green eyes, with so much pain and sorrow in them, pierce her soul. Nivea, looking behind her to see if, perhaps, there is a way out, has the breath knocked out of her lungs as she stares down at her inevitable death. The cliff starts to crack, fissures forming along the edges. She doesn't have a lot of time. She's seen this boy before. If Nivea is to be correct, he's thirteen-years-old. Amazing, he defied all odds and made it to the end.

The boys eyes well up in tears, axe still lifted in combat stance. Nivea has no weapon, no special fighting skills, no escape plan, and yet she has her most deadly weapon by her side at all times. Her words.

She's going to break that boy.

'Why are you crying?' she asks simply to open up the conversation. The tears now trickle down his face. He wipes them away with his palm.

'I… don't know. I've just killed so many people… and…' his lips quiver. He forces himself to finish the sentence. '...I just can't do it anymore.'

'Then don't.'

'What do you mean?!' he screams at Nivea. Good. He's becoming more emotional. More vulnerable. 'I have to get home, don't you understand?! I have to get home!' the axe in his hand shakes.

Nivea tries to hide her smirk. 'Do you think anyone will want you back home?' now the real plan is starting.

'What…?'

'How many people have you killed so far, Lupei?'

'Three…'

'… And with me, it would be four. You're going to leave this game, having killed four people. Four people who all had their own lives, their own stories to tell, their own bright futures ahead of them.'

Lupei tries to stay calm but the way his body reacts, begs to differ. The girl gets closer to him, one step at a time.

'But I had to! Otherwise I was going to die!'

'Ah, I see, the infamous _I_. If everyone thinks the way you think, we'd all be dead by now. It is thanks to people who think of the _we_ and not the _I_ that we, humans, have made it as far as we have.'

Lupei stays silent, processing her words.

'Nobody is going to want a murderer back home. You killed four people for goodness sake! Four people! Do you think your mother or your father are still going to love you?!

'I had to…'

'No, you didn't. Don't lie to me. You could have hid. Look at me. I've made just as far as you and I have not killed anyone. I don't even have a weapon!'

'We're supposed to kill… this is the way…' he lets the axe drop, his head sinking, tears still dropping like little raindrops. '...this game works.'

Nivea, finally, reaches the boy and hugs him. She could just toss him off the cliff now and get it over with, but no. Nivea wants to see how far she can really push this. She touches his face gently and lifts it up so that his eyes stare into hers. 'I know what you can do,' she whispers.

'W-what?'

'If you really want to prove that you are not a murderer and if you want to show your parents that you are still human and that you regret your decisions… you need to kill yourself.'

He falls into her arms more, still maintaining eye contact. She's got him enveloped in her embrace of darkness and she won't let go until she's completely molded him the way she wants to. Whoever said that you need a physical weapon to kill was an idiot.

'But-'

'No buts… listen to me. If you show the world out there that you care, that you wish it was different, that you are so saddened that you can't live with your deeds anymore, you will die a hero. When people think of you, they will be happy, they will feel love, not resentment, but gratitude for showing humanity that there still is good in this world. You'll be a _hero_.'

Lupei disappears from her arms, staggering towards the edge. He looks back at Nivea one more time, she, nodding at him, giving him the last push needed for this ultimate sacrifice. 'I love you mom, I love you dad. I'm not a monster… I'll prove it to you.' and with that sentence, he drops to the bottom of the abyss.

Nivea smiles. He'll die a hero, but she'll live a villain.

'Congratulations, to the victor of the 181st Hunger Games, Nivea Godness!'

* * *

**Okay, so that got a bit dark... **

**Now, we've met our last four mentors: Torn Josiah, unconventional Karin, sneaky Applebee, and Nivea... who talked a little kid into committing suicide. Fun. **

**Who was your favorite out of these four? Who was your least favorite?**

**I've closed all the POV spots and I'm really happy with the submissions I've received. Now, however, submissions for the D2F, D3M, D4F, D6F, D7M, D10F, and D11M are still open. So you can still submit to seven spots and I promise that Non-POV tributes will still get a ton of airtime since I love tribute interactions. I also hope to see some new submitters who haven't submitted yet! **

**After this chapter, I'll publish the final prologue with the confirmed tribute list! I am still unsure if I'll be doing introductions for the POV tributes before the pre-games or if I should introduce the POV tributes as the Games go on (My idea was to perhaps have small flashback interludes between the pre-game chapters, featuring one of the POV tributes. So you'd have kinda like character-centric chapters in between to get to know each tribute a bit more). What do you think?**

**So, yeah.**

**Random Question: How is the length of my chapters? Should I make them shorter but faster update speed? **

**Goodbyeeeee!**


	5. Prologue II: The Incident

Himeko Nakamura, S-Tier Assassin

* * *

3 months after the announcement of the Quell Twist:

The call came so sudden, out of nowhere.

As per usual Himeko prepared her morning coffee, slipped under her covers, and switched-on her favorite television program, a very interesting series about a woman who abandons her previous life to seek revenge on the people who harmed her by becoming an assassin. It was a story Himeko could relate to very much… except maybe the revenge part. She loves it here in the Capitol. Everything is so luxurious unlike back in District Two.

Himeko's cat decided to plop down on her lap and purred loudly indicating the utmost comfort. Everything was splendid. Then the call came.

'_Anomaly detected in Sector C' _

As an assassin, Himeko has to be very flexible. A call can always appear out of nowhere. What differentiates assassins from peacekeepers is that they undergo special training to handle situations that peacekeepers wouldn't be able to handle. They are trained to be elusive, ghost-like, unseen, ruthless. Only the richest of the rich can afford to hire an assassin through a program known as _Killjoy_. _Killjoy_ is dedicated to getting rid of people you don't like, mostly political competition. And since _Killjoy _is very expensive, only the rich have access to it. But obviously it isn't that easy. There's paperwork you have to fill out and there's a counter-program to _Killjoy_, knows as _Pr0tect _where you can higher a trained bodyguard to keep you safe from assassination attempts_. _Soon it became clear to Himeko that even in the Capitol there was a clear hierarchy of power. It was easy for Himeko to climb up the assassin tiers and it wasn't long before she became one of the most sought-after assassins.

And then there were cases like this. Cases that required the special techniques and expertise of assassins.

Himeko gets into her car and drives in full gear towards Sector C. Her heart is pounding heavily, an exhilarating feeling. What is this Anomaly? Soon Himeko arrives at the target location. Shutting the car door behind her, she shoots her grappling hook at one of the skyscrapers and elevates herself to the top. 'Himeko, glad you made it,' someone behind her says. Timmons, another S-Tier assassin. 'Follow me.'

With no further comments, he grapples from building to building, Himeko close behind him, trying to keep up. The silence starts to fade as shrill screams become more apparent and the sound of car sirens dominates the empty space. Then Himeko sees..._it. _

A beast, covered in fur, muscles protruding from everywhere, taking over the whole being's body. It's almost comical. Two ears stick out of its head and a long, furry tail drags behind it. Himeko's eyes fall on the creature's claws. Long, sharp, deadly, they could probably rip her to pieces in a matter of seconds. Timmons, next to her, looks scared. He never looks scared.

'Let's get to it then.' Himeko smiles and pats him on the back, causing him to wince. 'You're not scared, are you?'

'Pff, no. Of course not. Let's go.' They give each other one last look before jumping into action.

* * *

Anargi Fontana, Daughter of the President

* * *

'Unbelievable…' Anargi walks around her room frantically, hands clawed to her hair. 'I told him, didn't I? I told father. I told him this Essence wasn't a good idea, that it was going to cause destruction. That it was going to get people killed.' she turns to Himeko. 'I told him, didn't I?!'

'Oh, yes, you definitely did.' Himeko stuffs more caramel-salted popcorn into her mouth. 'It's fine though. Timmons and I handled the situation. That creature is dead now. For good.'

'It doesn't matter! Don't you see that if my brother and that professor are given the liberty to do as they please, they'll just continue with their wicked experiments?!' Anargi, realizing that she might have lashed out a little too much, sits down on her bed, alongside Himeko, stroking her girlfriend's hair behind her ear. 'I'm sorry, you know how much it means to me that we're all safe…'

'I do.' Himeko gives Anargi a peck on the lips. Anargi blushes, getting off the bed and continuing her tantrum.

'Then there's also the ethical aspect to it… I'm pretty sure _that_ used to be human.' She points at a picture of the feline beast on her laptop screen. 'Are we just going to let our civilians be used for these experiments. Is that what our society has come to? We just sacrifice our own for… _entertainment_?'

Something changes in Himeko's demeanor. 'How is what you're saying any different than the Hunger Games? Every year you people force 24 kids to fight to the death. Children who actually had a future, who had lives to live…'

'That's… different.'

'No, it's not. Sorry to break it to you, but everyone in the Capitol is kind of a hypocrite. As soon as one of your own gets hurt, it's unethical and inhuman, but does anyone care about what we've done to the people in the Districts. No. Because what we do to lower folk is for _entertainment._ You do see how this is developing, Anargi, don't you?'

'Yes… we're killing our own. We're sacrificing our own to maximize our entertainment.'

'Exactly, when predators get sick of the prey, they start to turn on each other.'

'And what if people actually enjoy this Quell Twist? Maybe these Games will be a success, maybe the people will crave more and then we're forced to continue these experiments and… what if it develops into something more. What if we _really_ start to turn on each other?'

Himeko shrugs like she's got nothing to say anymore. Anargi halts for a minute, proceeding to open her bedroom door.

'Where are you going?' Himeko asks.

'I have to stop these Games from happening.'

* * *

Cynthio Fontana, Head Gamemaker

* * *

Yes, he might have gone a bit too far with his first specimen. How was he supposed to know that Cat man was so strong that he'd be able to just break out of his cell and cause so much chaos? But now that he knows the limits of the Essence it won't happen again. He just has to find a way to get out of this mess and that might be a problem.

His father stands tall in front of him, fuming with anger.

'I just had to hold a speech, as the President of this country, and excuse my son's foolish behavior. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? To apologize to the Capitol for what my son did?'

'Dad, trust me, after these Games, people will love it. They'll ask for more Essence. You know how our society is driven by the idea of entertainment, right? We cover our sadness through entertainment. Forget money, this is the real currency.'

'NO!' Demacius hits Cynthio's desk with his fist, causing his tea to spill all over his paperwork.

'Da-'

'The _only_ reason why we are going to go through with this is because we've already announced the Quell Twist and we're too far in, to go back now. And tell me, who are you using for these experiments, huh?'

'Just criminals, don't worry.'

'_Just_? What do you mean _just_?'

'I mean, it's not like we're using anyone of importance. They're outlaws so they should be...punished.'

'And who has a say over their fate? You?! Who are you to have so much power?! The whole point is to teach outlaws a lesson so that they can integrate themselves into society again. Not to kill them! You will have no access to the prisons anymore and if I ever find out that you are continuing with these illegal experiments I'll come over here and strangle you with my own two fucking hands!'

Whenever his father gets really angry, a certain vein on his forehead becomes visible. That vein has now popped up which is not a good sign. Cynthio has to think quickly. He has to go into cooling mode. The fire burning in his father needs to be calmed. 'I'm sorry, dad. It won't happen again, I promise.'

Demacius scoffs. 'Unbelievable…' he mutters, slamming the door to Cynthio's office shut as he stomps out of the room.'

Obviously it was a lie. The only way Cynthio can have full control of the Essence is by seeing what true potential power it possesses and Cat man was only one out of millions of possible results. So why stop? Why give away his key to success? He's going to be more careful next time, that's for sure. If his father finds out that he disobeyed him, he might actually kill him.

'Don't worry about having specimens,' Inez says. She's been hiding in the shadows while his father threw his tantrum. 'I have access to all military facilities and prisons in Panem. I'll get you what you need.'

Cynthio smiles wickedly. 'You know I love you, right? He laughs.

'Of course. We're going to take over the world together after all.'

Here's the problem. Inez has other goals in mind. She's thinking beyond the spectrum of the Hunger Games. She's thinking about conquering the world, about using it to actually harm other people and that was a problem. The moment Inez becomes a hindrance to his plan, he'll have to dispose of her. But for now, he needs her.

Only three more months and then the Games can begin…

* * *

Bellmore Sergeyevich, Fashion Designer

* * *

'_Somebody needs to help him!' she screams. Blood gushes out of his leg, torn flesh visible, bone sticking out. Bellmore calls for help repeatedly. It takes several minutes for someone to notice her and the man lying on the floor in the chaotic mess of it all. _

'_I'll call an ambulance!' a stranger shouts over to them. Bellmore nods at him. _

_Quickly she unties the belt around her waist and tightens it around the man's thigh, above the wound. He screams in pain. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You're going to be fine, okay? You're going to be fine.' Bellmore has watched enough medical dramas to know the basics of what to do. He continues to squeal like a tortured animal. A parade of ambulances arrives to carry all the wounded men and women to the hospital. 'Over here!' Bellmore screams. A group of three medics approaches Bellmore and her patient._

'_Thank you, madame, for helping out.' they carry him away and drive off._

The smell of the thick smoke is still stuck in her nose and so are the screams of the injured. The president's speech was bullshit. So they're just going to keep going as if nothing happened? Bellmore never trusted politicians. She never liked politicians. She ever liked politics in general.

And for some reason now, more than ever, is she determined to speak up. Many people around her have formed little demonstration groups to protest against the Essence. Surprisingly enough the Capitol is divided into different parties with different opinions.

There are the Capitolites who want this to stop. The ones who think that this is a dangerous game. One that can spiral out of control very easily. Bellmore is one of these people.

Then there are the Capitolites who support the Essence. They're main argument is that we can't be hypocrites. They think that if the Hunger Games are supported, then any method to make the Hunger Games better should also be supported. The people who support the Essence are mainly Hunger Games fanatics.

Then there are the ones who are torn between the two opinions who don't mind the essence but want it to be controlled better for the safety of the people.

But if it one thing that Bellmore knows, then it is that she's not just going to sit back and do nothing. All her life she just looked the other way. She stayed away from the darkness that politics had to offer and distracted herself with television, clothes, and other superficial things. But after witnessing what happened that day when that feline creature killed and injured so many people, she can't look away anymore.

'Is everyone ready?!' Bellmore shouts into the microphone.

Cheers appear from all corners as the mass of people in front of her, hold their protesting signs high into the air. Everyone wants to make their voice heard and together they're going to cause change.

'Let's make an end to this!'

* * *

**And we can finally begin! This was the last prologue where it became apparent that this is a game of power and everyone supports different opinions and will do anything to accomplish their own goals. **

**I have great news. The tribute cast is complete and you can go and check it out right now! But first, a ginormous thank you and applause for Mae from TheMayflyProject who was kind enough to create this amazing blog for me since I would have been far too inept to do so myself. Not only is she an amazing character creator but she also has her own story, Inferno: The 118th Hunger Games which is on hiatus but should start soon again. So go and check that out! **

**I love all the tributes I've received and I am super excited to start this story and I hope that everyone who submitted reads and reviews because that would mean the world to me :D**

**You can find the blog on my profile!**

**I'll also update my profile with the tribute list soon.**

**See you guys next time with the train rides where we'll meet our first four tributes! Have a great day and goodbye!**


	6. Train Rides I: An Eye for Detail

Raja Ali, 18

District One Female

* * *

The moment Goud made his first move it became apparently clear to Raja that he wasn't going to be an ally she could trust in the long-term. Their chess match was over as soon as it started. The District One boy showed no interest in protecting any other pieces but his king, sacrificing all his pawns early on. He then proceeded to throw his bishops, knights, and rooks in the middle of the battlefield as if they were tiles to a wall that would protect his king. Although Raja knew that he wasn't getting anywhere with his approach, Goud only noticed his inevitable loss once he was left with one remaining piece. The same piece he put so much effort into protecting that he neglected all his other pieces.

Chess was a great way to figure out someone's strategy, someone's approach in battle. It strips you down to your naked self and although you might not realize it, the way you play chess is the way you will undoubtedly handle yourself in the Hunger Games. So what has Raja learned from her match against her fellow District partner? Well, she's learned that he'll always put himself before others, sacrificing all his teammates just to make sure that he makes it out alive.

Goud is certainly not Raja's ideal partner for the Games and in no way whatsoever will she put any trust in him and as much as she'd love to just confront him about it, Raja knows when to shut her mouth. She'll let him be, for now, pretend to trust him, pretend to be allied with him, but he won't be her ride or die. Never.

'Ugh, I lost…' Goud says, actually sounding surprised. Cerulean, their mentor puts the newspaper down, taking one last sip from his coffee mug.

'Let's get started, shall we? I suggest we begin by watching the reapings of your competition.' he gestures for them to tag along behind him into the main living area of the train.

Raja makes her way to the living room but realizes that her ally isn't following. 'What's the matter, Goud?' He looks damaged, lost, sad.

'I don't know. It's not even supposed to bother me that much that I lost, but I don't know, for some reason it does.' His eyes still gaze at the empty battlefield of the chessboard. Raja is surprised. Why his insignificant loss seems to tug at his nerves, puzzles Raja but she won't make too much of it just yet.

'I've been playing chess for a long time now, buddy.' She smirks. 'Not to sound arrogant or anything, but you're by far not in the minority when it comes to losing against me, trust me.' Raja gives him a gentle pat on the back.

He smiles at her. 'Alright, let's do this.'

Raja and Goud make themselves comfortable on the couch while Cerulean keeps his distance, sitting at the small table in the corner of the room, tablet in his hands. He presses a few buttons and swipes a couple of times, then the tv illuminates and they're introduced to their fellow careers from Two.

'_Please, give a warm welcome to this year's selectee from Two, Nastya Romanov!' _

The crowd stays silent, almost as if everyone is too scared to clap or, for some reason, feels the need not to applaud her. Interesting, very interesting. 'Well, that's awkward,' Goud comments next to her and he's not wrong.

After she's done walking up to the stage, the click-clack of her heels, echoing hauntingly in everyone's ears, the male selectee is announced.

'_A large applause for our male selectee, Dimitris Apostolos!'_

The crowd goes wild, arms raised, kids cheering from left and right, whistles coming from the adult's section in the back. Raja almost feels sorry for the girl standing awkwardly in the front after she'd been greeted so coldly, just to have her District Partner receive the complete opposite of a welcome.

'_Thank you, everyone, thank you. I hear all of your cheers and whistles and, let me tell you, it is an honor to represent my District, because I know that many of you don't know me as Dimitris but as the Greek God!' _The vowel of his last word keeps dragging on and on, as if he was a rockstar trying to hype up his crowd and it seems like it's working. The girl, Nastya, rolls her eyes. Something tells Raja that the two of them will get along. The boy, Dimitris, however, is going to be a handful and Raja's going to have to figure out a way to keep his big mouth under control.

They move on to District Three. A girl is called. Her name is Voxel Phong. For a while, no one moves in the crowd, until a petite little thing, limps out slowly, both her hands clinging to a walker, so she doesn't fall over. Raja's heart melts. It reminds her too much of home that she almost has to look away. The girl doesn't deserve this, at all.

Then the boy is called. Both Raja and Goud aren't sure if they heard his name correctly. He has a certain ego to him, walking up that stage all confidently. _'Hiya, I'm Alpha, Alpha Mail. And I'll be the one to bring home another victory for our District! Cheer for me, please!'_

Goud spits out his water next to Raja, rolling on the floor with laughter. Raja tries to contain herself but lets a few giggles escape. The crowd claps awkwardly until the two of them are hurried away from the stage.

The pair from Four doesn't seem that special for now. Both Zoë and her District partner, Barracuda, seem like average careers. Something about the male though sticks out, but she can't really tell what it is. He speaks like a natural-born leader. Raja will have to challenge him to a chess dual to figure him out more.

The pair from Five both seem to have no problem being reaped. The girl just seems really angry, while the boy smiles coyly and struts up the stage. She'll definitely have to keep an eye on them in the future.

The pair from Six isn't really noteworthy. Both look like they're going to die in the bloodbath.

The girl from Seven looks almost deranged on that stage, with her wide smile, talking about how she won't disappoint her District. The kid, Morse, on the other hand can barely manage to speak.

District Eight, on the other hand, really pops out. There's a volunteer coming from the girl's section. Her name is Hilda Van Kirsten and from the way she's dressed, it looks like her family is quite wealthy. Definitely wealthier than Raja's, that's for sure. Her family shouts and cries in the back, clearly having not expected their daughter to volunteer. The boy, Mune, makes his way to the stage but starts to sign, instead of speaking. 'Is he deaf?' Goud asks.

'No, you dummy. He heard his name. He's probably just mute,' Raja says.

'Keep an eye out for those two,' Cerulean intervenes for the first time. Raja trusts her mentor's gut instinct. He's played the Game before and Raja remembers how he didn't take notice of the girl from Nine, Jane. Cerulean has probably learned not to underestimate any of his opponents.

'Got it.' Raja nods at him.

District Nine both pass as rather average. The girl tries to smile sweetly but Raja sees the anger boiling inside of her while the boy has the typical reaction anybody his age would have after being reaped. He cries. The crowd, on the other hand, shows no empathy for him whatsoever. Peculiar, but not remarkable.

The girl from Ten is forgettable while the boy looks like he's the only one who could actually keep up with the careers so far. He's tall and muscular and his words exude confidence.

The pair from Eleven both have nothing really remarkable about them. The boy, Urid, however, did break down on stage crying.

And Twelve also has nothing special to offer, as per usual, other than that both the reaped tributes are rather old.

Cerulean switches the television off. 'Anything you'd like to comment on? Anything you've noticed?'

'The only Districts that really stood out to me other than the career Districts were Three, Five, and Eight. Then as individuals, the girl from Seven, Phoenix, and the boy from Ten, Aditya, left a bit of a mark. Six, Nine, Eleven, and Twelve have yet to prove to me that they are competition,' Raja remarks.

'But don't count them out. Don't make the same mistake that I did in my Games. I almost died because of it.'

Goud stares at the reflection of himself on the pitch-black television screen, inspecting his face, and brushing his hair back with his hands. 'I'm going to get some rest.' Raja gets up and makes her way out of the common room.

This year's Games are going to be unpredictable, that's for sure.

* * *

Mune Silk, 16

District Eight Male

* * *

It's an odd feeling. Just moments ago Mune was telling his parents goodbye, them crying in his arms, begging him to come home again. And although he should have been the one in tears, the one shattered in tiny little fragments on the floor, no tears flow down his pale cheeks. He can't describe what he's feeling, but it isn't somberness. It's more a mixture between confusion and… more confusion.

'Hi!' a high-pitched voice interrupts his thought process, causing Mune to jump up, hitting his back against the wall, facing the intruder.

His District Partner waves with excitement. 'I'm Hilda, in case you forgot!' she reaches out and grabs his right palm with both of her hands and shakes them. Mune, still in shock, stares at her emptily, blinking twice before zapping out of his temporary paralysis.

All Mune can do to respond is shrug. He isn't capable of communicating with words and Hilda most likely doesn't know sign language and so the barrier of communication sets itself between the two, making it impossible for the conversation to carry on. 'Oh my gosh, I'm so stupid, sorry!'

Mune asks himself if her voice is always this loud as she grabs a notebook from a nearby desk and tosses a pencil to him. 'Here, write it down!'

Mune scribbles on the paper. It's pointless, what should he say that she doesn't already know? He flips the notebook so that she can read the writing. _'Hey there, I'm Mune. Sorry for the confusion. I'm mute as you can probably tell.'_

'Can you teach me sign-language sometime? That way I can understand you easier.'

'_I'm happy that you're interested in learning but it isn't something you can teach in just a few days.'_

Hilda's smile fades a bit. 'Yeah, I guess you're right...'

It's been hard for Mune to belong. Fitting in wasn't something he was just privileged to like most people. Growing up it always felt like there was a barrier between him and the rest of the world and while he could hear everyone speak their words, he couldn't speak his.

It all started with bullying when he was still young. He was easy prey for other kids, given in inability to fight back with words or shout for them to stop. There were countless nights, Mune would return home, eyes red, cheeks still stained from his tears and yet there was no one to keep his emotions at bay. His parents fought all the time, but neither wanted to give in and file for divorce because both wanted to profit from their economic income. And so Mune was stuck with two parents who had no love for each other or their son but were only interested in their own wellbeing.

When Mune got older, the bullying stopped. The kids realized that it wasn't acceptable for them to be picking on someone who was at a disadvantage. They pitied him. They spared him because of pure, simple pity. It was disgusting, however, that pity was his only shield back then. His friends would greet him on the hallways but would never stay to actually talk with him. Nobody wanted to talk to him. Why would they? Why make life harder for yourself by trying to break the communication barrier if you could just interact with people who possessed the ability to actually talk back? Why make life harder for yourself if you can just get rid of all your guilt by acknowledging that one mute kid at your school and move on with your life, feeling like you've done a good deed by giving a desperate and isolated person their daily dose of attention?

Mune knew how it worked. They did it all because they didn't want to feel bad about themselves.

They come but never stay. This is how it is. This is how it will always be.

Mune gazes into Hilda's eyes who seems to be lost in her own thoughts, her soul having crawled into the back of her mind, leaving a hollow statue-like exterior. He lost her. She doesn't know what to say. She tried to talk to him, just to realize how hard it is. At this point, she's probably contemplating what to say next, how to break it to him that she doesn't want to-

'I mean, so what if I don't know sign language, right?' she brushes her soft and silky red hair back. 'So what if… I dunno, you can't really talk or whatever. It doesn't mean we can't have fun. You just keep writing whatever you want to say on that notebook and, voilà, problem solved!' she giggles, her eyes reflecting manic excitement.

Why is she different? Why doesn't she just want to leave him behind slowly like everyone else in his life? Why hasn't she already given up on him? Hilda isn't normal. She volunteered for the Games. Something that Mune still wants to approach her about, but not now. Now is not the right time to ask her about something that might be very delicate and break the bond he's just built with her. He has to nurture his relationship with Hilda gently and carefully. If he makes one wrong move, he might lose her and she's the only person, for years, who's showing genuine interest in spending time with Mune.

'I have an idea! Let's grab ourselves some ice cream and watch tv.' Hilda waits, anticipating a reaction from Mune. He gives her an OK sign before the girl latched on to him and drags Mune behind her like a ragdoll. Midway, she halts and faces him. 'Oh my gosh, I forgot. We should like totally ally, right?'

A small part of Mune's pitch black soul lights up. He found himself an ally. No, a friend.

* * *

Pamela 'Pam' Chrysanth, 16

District Nine Female

* * *

'Pam, can you pass me the flour?' Johar whisks the liquid ingredients in a glass bowl. Pam watches the egg yolks and dairy milk, blend together through the gentle yet elegant movements of Johar's crafty hands.

'Yeah, of course...' she opens one of the drawers, pinned to the kitchen wall above her. 'Here you go.'

'Thank you so much.'

The chefs were shocked when Pam and Johar first stepped into the kitchen, asking if they could prepare something for themselves. By the looks on their faces, it must have been the first time that tributes have made such a request. Pam was about to crack up, the way they stood there, meeting each other's eyes cluelessly, not knowing how to answer. It amused Pam to her core.

Pamela adds some water to a pre-heated saucepan. When the water starts to simmer, she adds the sugar and stirs it until it dissolves completely. She turns the heat off, and removes the pan, letting the syrup cool.

'This is going to be so delicious!' Johar exclaims, adding cacao-powder to the mix. The boy actually has some muscle on his arm, Pam sees small details like these. It helps her get around in life, using people's strengths and weaknesses to her advantage.

'I can tell you've done this before.' she looks over to him.

'Yeah,' he chuckles. 'My mom and dad own...owned a bakery in Nine. They trained me, taught me all their skills. I was supposed to take over one day, so it made sense, y'know?' he sighs, dropping the batter into a cake form, carefully.

The boy is hiding something for sure but no need to nag on him, he's been through enough for today. She'll let him be.

'And how do you know how to make milk tea? I've never met someone who actually makes it and I've met a lot of different chefs.' Johar slides the batter into the oven and sets the baking time.

'Oh, well, I work at a milk tea shop. It's super small and not in the main town so you probably haven't heard of it.' While that is true, she does really work at a milk tea shop, it's not the whole truth she's sharing with him. She'll keep her darker side to herself. You don't really want to be the one to tell a little kid that you sell drugs at an underground bar.

'That must be a lot of fun…'

Fun. That's one word to describe it. At first, it was hard for Pam to stretch her cheek muscles all day, maintaining that damn smile for her impatient, rude customers. No matter how disgustingly or disrespectfully someone treated her, she was still taught to act all nice and friendly and welcoming, as to not scare away the customers. It was painful at first, especially during the times when she'd want to punch a hole into someone's face or toss a chair at them. That forced kindness, however, gave her a new talent. The talent for manipulation. The ability to convince a customer to buy whatever drink you want them to buy, just by flashing them with a cheeky little smile or giggling at their cringy jokes. The knowledge she gained during the day, she also used at night. The same techniques could be applied to get a drunk customer to buy the most expensive - and riskiest - drugs. It was harder with sober ones. Though most of the time she'd still get them to do whatever she wanted them to do. It was her gift. Her dark little gift.

'It's definitely a lot of fun, Johar. Especially when you get to meet all these people, from all walks of life, you know what I mean?'

'I totally get you! That's why I love baking for people.'

Her skills always help her make connections with others. It's easy for Pam to get people to trust her.

Johar is a nice kid. Young, yet mature. Kind, but not stupid. It must be horrible for him to be ripped away from home at such a young age and as much as she'd want to comfort him right now, promise her loyalty to him and promise to protect him at all costs because that's what she'd want someone to do for her if she were in his position, she can't. And she won't. She's not a good person and she knows it. There's no point in allying with a little boy who won't help her get far in the Game. That's just, sadly, the case. Will she hesitate to kill him if it comes down to it? No. She'll slice his throat open if she has to.

It's just how it works.

Pam removes the tray, stacked with the cooled tea, from the fridge. She sets four mugs in front of her, adding two ice cubes to each. Finally, she ads the dissolved sugar and some milk to each mug, after pouring the tea in, and stirs to mix the ingredients into sweet and comforting deliciousness.

A dark and evil laugh fills the room, creeping up behind Pam. Pamela's instincts take over. She turns around, ready to pounce at the attacker. Instead, she finds her escort, Victor, pushed up against a wall in fear, holding a voice-recording-device-kind-of-thing.

'PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I-I-I have money…' his blue hands shake. Pamela never understood the Capitol, ever. Why would a grown man like him, paint his whole body blue, including his teeth, and dress up like someone who just came freshly out of a steam-punk novel.

Just now does she realize the knife latched onto her right hand, pointed at Victor. 'Oh, sorry. I'm not gonna kill you, man… I'd be executed for that. You should know that kind of stuff, coming from the Capitol and all.'

'Right…' he hurries back to his feet and brushes his shoulder-length, dark-blue hair away from his face. 'So..what are you guys doing?' he asks curiously.

'Cooking, we're almost done,' Johar says with a smile.

'Ouuh, that sounds like fun!' Victor claps his hands together and jumps up and down like an excited little child with a giddy grin on his face. 'Can I try some when you're done?'

'No.' Pam shuts his request down.

'Whyyy?'

'I'm joking, of course you can.' As much as she meant that initial 'no', she'd get nowhere with her naturally hot and aggressive attitude. If she is to profit from her escort's advice, she better treat him with respect. The same goes for her mentor, Applebee, and her future allies. Fake it til you make it… or go down in flames.

* * *

Dirk Latimer, 18

District Twelve Male

* * *

Of course people keep complaining. It's all anyone does these days. Complain about, injustice, complain about societal norms, complain about why things are the way that they are. And Dirk has had just about enough of hearing Diana's rude and aggressive tone.

The book he's reading is a very interesting biography about a rebel, by the name of Corianne Gerode, who, all her life, has been so caught up in doing what she thought was right that she forgot what side she was on in the first place. A very interesting literary piece that poses a lot of open questions, left to be interpreted by the reader. And yet, sadly, Dirk cannot turn his whole attention towards this beautiful book due to his District partner's unresting, relentless complaining.

'And I can't believe that although I've made it very fucking clear that I am in no way playing the goverments little games that they'd still, after everything I've been through, put me in a position where-'

'Just shut up.' Dirk closes his book abruptly, interrupting Diana's long and uninteresting speech about…_ something_.

'What did you just say?' Her cheeks start to heat up, reddening to an extent where Dirk thinks her head might go off and burst into a glorious explosion that would finally silence this girl's exasperating voice.

'Listen,' he put his hands together and sets them on the table in front of her like a father about to tell his daughter a goodnight story. 'I am trying to read my book.' he lifts his thumb. 'You are very loud.' he lifts his index finger. 'I need silence to read my book.' he lifts his middle finger. 'You talking and me reading in peace just don't go together.' he lifts his ring finger. 'So, please, understand when I tell you that you need to either be quiet or move somewhere else.' finally, he lifts his last finger, covering all his points.

Diana stares at him blankly. The red tone in her cheeks disappears. Needless to say, Dirk is surprised. He'd already prepared a speech to counter her counter-attack but it seems like his partner is mature enough to realize when it is enough. 'Whatever dude…' she says, shaking her hands in the air.

Just now does Dirk notice the food stains on her fingers. A shiver crawls down his spine. It's clear that Diana doesn't care about her hygiene which is something that infuriates Dirk. How can you not care about keeping your body clean and appealing to others? Not that Dirk has a need to appeal to others but it is respectful, not only for other people but also for yourself, to be decent enough to cleanse yourself of all the bacteria and viruses that cover every corner as far as the eye can see. If Dirk had to count the number of times he washes his hands per day, he wouldn't be able to. Cleaning himself has become such a norm to him that he doesn't even realize the physical action of doing it anymore.

'Lemme see your book.' with one swift, unexpected movement, the book is snatched out of Dirk's grip. His heart shatters into tiny little fragments, as he watches the beautifully artistic cover, getting smudged with food remainders and the pages being folded carelessly.

'Don't touch my book with your filthy, fucking hands!' Dirk rises, slamming his fists against the table.

'Oh, would you look at that? Not as calm and collected as you pretend to be, huh?' she teases him, rubbing her fingers, purposefully, on all pages. Dirk is about to lose it. He tries to reach for her to reclaim his prized possession but she evades the attack, moving away from the table. Without thinking, he pounces, ripping the book free from her hands. Diana laughs, clearly not caring at all about anything. 'But tell me, why are you so calm? You should be sad, no? Heck, I'm fucking sad, and I try not to show it, but look at you, solid as a rock.' she prances around the train compartment. 'You're going to die, Dirk Latimer.' she stops, her eyes stabbing little holes into his. 'And there's nothing you can do about it. So, again, tell me, why are you so calm?'

'Death doesn't scare me.' Diana rolls her eyes, clearly bored by his reasoning. 'What none of you folks understand is that we Districts lost this battle the moment it began.'

'What are you talking about?'

'I'm talking about the Rebellion. I might not have been there but I've read all the history books. It was clear that we stood no chance against the Capitol. It was abundantly clear. Did we care? No. Obviously we didn't. We gave away the freedom we had left because we were ignorant, foolish, greedy. The punishment? This. All of this is our punishment. I've come to accept that a long time ago. I knew there was a chance I'd be reaped and, obviously, I would've preferred not to be caught in the cross-fire of the Capitol's power, but now I am.'

'Dirk, I've not known you for long but you better tread carefully, my friend, because I am about to release a goddamn lightning storm on you. How dare you say we deserve this... How dare you,' she hisses at him, composure still calm but on the verge of breaking. 'Are you trying to tell me that the Capitol couldn't have been more merciful? Are you trying to tell me that my parents deserved to be executed in front of the entire fucking District for stealing a purse to feed my brother and I?!' she stomps across the room now, face reddening again. 'Are you trying to tell me that my little brother deserves to be alone because his sister is ripped away from him to play the Capitol's little game for their entertainment, huh?! Tell me, Dirk! Tell me!' she smashes one of the more expensive looking vases against a wall. 'Why does the Capitol have this?!' she points at the shards on the floor. 'Why does the Capitol have this, or this, or this, or this?' her fingers point at different expensive looking objects that blemish the compartment.'

'Alright, let's calm down a little here, got it?' Dirk gets up, making his way out of the room, but Diana blocks his way and presses bother her hands against his chest, pushing him back.

'You're not going anywhere!'

'What do you want from me?' Dirk's starting to lose his patients with her. Why does he have to defend his political opinion for her? Who is she to put him on the spot like that?

'I want you to explain to me how the hell any of us deserve this treatment!'

'I don't need to explain anything to you, quite frankly.'

'You bastard! You stupid idiot! You have no idea! No idea!' her eyes well up and her formerly pure rage turns into sadness, masked by wrath. She pushes him back again, and again, until he reaches the wall. She hits his chest with her fists repeatedly. He's not going to be the one to stop her, he won't hit a mentally unstable girl.

Dodge and Bavezda rush into the room to see what all the commotion is about. 'Oh my goodness!' Bavezda covers her mouth with her hands once she lays her eyes on the mess. Dodge immediately wraps his arms around Diana, pulling her away from Dirk.

'I'm going to fucking murder you! You hear me?!' Her last words echo in Dirk's ears as Dodge drags Diana out of the room.

* * *

_ALLIANCES: _

_Careers: Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M)_

_New Friends: Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M)_

**Well hello there! Welcome to the main story. I hope you're ready because I am and it is going to be a lot of fun. This was the first Trainrides chapter and, yes, I know, most of you probably expected intros for each tribute first but that's not happening. I'm changing the formula a bit to make it easier for myself. Each featured tribute will receive around 4 POVs during the pre-games, before the looming Bloodbath which will give us enough time to see every tribute make connections and develop in their own way. I might reveal a tribute's backstory right away, I might reveal a tribute's backstory right before the actual Games, I might not reveal a tribute's backstory at all until I think it is right, but, I promise you, every tribute will have enough screen-time and development. I will try my best to honor your characters as wella s my characters and make them fully fleshed out. What I'm trying to say is, don't be worried that there are no intros or that your tribute isn't fully revealed right away. With 4 POVs, that gives us plenty of time.**

**Okay! I'd like to thank Platrium for sending in Pam and Victor, IVolunteerAsAuthor for Raja, Paradigm Of Writing for Dirk, Guesttwelve for Mune, AlexFalTon for Diana and Bavezda, and Zacksteel for Goud! All beautiful tributes that I can't wait to explore more! Next, we will have the second Trainrides where we'll meet eight more tributes. Again, there's a gorgeous blog to check out if you haven't done that yet.**

**Tell me what you think of these tributes, I'm curious to see your opinions! **


	7. Train Rides II: Off the Rails

**Trigger Warning: Fat-shaming in Barracuda's POV **

* * *

Colin Kurz, 16

District Six Male

* * *

This isn't exactly ideal. Two hours ago Colin Kurz staggered out of his bed, nearly tripping and tumbling down the stairs on his way to the breakfast table. And now he's here on an all too familiar train, dragging him to his impending death. The S42B3, also known as the Cloudbreaker. One of the fastest train models created in Six, journeying at the speed of light and overtaking any bullet train with ease. It's been a dream of his to experience the might of the Cloudbreaker firsthand and yet, now that he's sitting in it, Colin can't help but be amused by how fate does end up having its ways and giving you what you desire ever so desperately. Maybe had he not dreamt of the Cloudbreaker, he would still be home now, brunching with his father on the front porch, as he paged through today's newspaper, the smell of sizzling eggs, frying in a pan, filling up their house.

Colin's mind focuses on the oily, greasy, soft texture of the eggs, almost mistaking the saliva, making its way down his face, for his own. His eyes tear open, staring into the ferocious eyes of a beast, covered in fur, claws, glistening as the sun rays hit their smooth, deadly surface.

'What the hell?!' Colin jumps back.

'Brittney!' Optika, their escort, shouts at the beast. 'Sorry, this is Brittney. She's a Siberian Husky.'

'Is that thing even allowed to be here?' Colin rubs the Saliva away from his face with his sleeve.

'Well, you see, I read in a magazine that dogs are, like, supposed to help with depression and anxiety and stuff so… I thought I'd bring Brittney here with me to help y'all out.' The Siberian beast wags its tail threateningly, tongue sticking out, ready to devour villages. 'Well, aren't you a good girl, Brittney?! C'mere, why don't you give our friend here a lil kiss, make him feel all jolly again?'

Brittney wastes no time, tackling Colin to the ground, he, struggling to get that goliath off of him. He shouts and squeals as the hound drags its tongue across his face repeatedly until it's attention is diverted somewhere else.

'Holy heck! Is that a dog?!' Cecilia, his district partner, bolts into the compartment.

'Why yes, it is! Do you want to pet it?'

'Can I?'

'Of course you can!'

Colin notices the dried tear marks at the corner of Cecilia's eyes as well as her shriveled lips. At the reapings, the girl kept her composure, struggling to get the words past the border of her mouth while she stood up there, in front of a whole crowd of selfish, cutthroat kids who deep down inside have bloody smiles carved from one side of their face to the other.

Colin, too, had a bolt of joy, rushing through his body every year his name didn't get picked. He was glad it wasn't him and he pitied whoever did end up getting reaped but never in a million years would he stick up for anyone but himself. Why would he? It isn't as if anyone else here would do so for him. There's nothing separating Colin from the other greedy, self-centered monsters in his District since he too felt joy whenever he escaped the slippery hands of fate. Sadly, this year he didn't. And neither did Cecilia.

The moment they got on the train, she excused herself and vanished into her room. There was nothing subtle about her approach. Her sobs could reach the conductor's compartment and probably span another couple of miles beyond that. But, at the end of the day, it isn't her fault that Colin is as cold as he is. Had she been paired up with any other boy from Six, she might have found somebody to join her as they wept together in silence, engaging in deep, thought-provoking conversation about life and what it means to be and whatnot.

But Colin isn't that kind of person. His whole life it's only been about numbers and statistics and calculating the deaths of other children and how they could have survived longer by changing the course of their actions. He's never built real relationships or real trust. Money is what is important. Money is power. Money is your only true friend. Money is what gets you far in life.

'Colin, look how adorable she is.' Cecilia giggles, the dog, nibbling at her hands, playfully. Poor girl. Her death is looming and she knows it and yet she hides behind her smile, displaying a picture-perfect image of herself in that pink bubblegum dress. It's only a matter of time before cracks start to form in her little facade; until it all shatters and Colin won't be the one to pick up the pieces when they come tumbling to the ground.

'Yes… very cute.' he grinds his teeth at the sight of that mutt.

'Come, pet her with me!' Cecilia gestures for him to join her.

Stupid girl. If that is the way she wants to spend her time instead of increasing her chances of survival, then she can go ahead and do that but Colin's seen girls like her in previous Games. He's seen Valerie, he's seen Phoella, he's seen Aiko. The Capitol adores them because of how delightful they are but no one ever places their bets on them. Yes, she might win over the crowd's hearts, but she'll never make it out alive. Her archetype has a survival rate of 0.9%. The lowest winning chances of any archetype.

'I'm good, Cecilia, but thanks for the offer.' he struts past her. In the corner of his eye he can see her gentle hands coil into fists. Interesting. Maybe there's more to her than he initially thought. But it doesn't matter. What does matter is his survival and it is time to carve out his ingenious plan and pull the necessary strings to carry him to victory.

* * *

Leven Granert, 15

District Five Female

* * *

'Both of you need to put on a smile, right now.' Nivea claps her hands together, waiting for Leven and Pavlov to follow her order.

Pavlov rests his hands on his hips and forces a grin. Had Leven not known that it was forced, she might have actually bought it. 'This is ridiculous…' Leven retreats her hands into the soft inside of her oversized hoodie, or should she say her father's hoodie, and pulls the hood over her dark, frizzy hair.

'No, it's not.' Nivea forcefully uncovers Leven's hair. 'Listen to me guys. The Capitol won't want to sponsor two grouches. They want to see your beautiful and fake smiles. That's the kind of shit they care for and-'

'Well what if I don't care, Nivea? What makes you so sure that I want to come back? I've seen your Games. We all have. You're a monster and what you did was inhuman. I'd rather die… with people remembering me as a hero than living among people who are disgusted by my actions' Leven stares into her mentor's eyes provocatively.

This is by far not the first time that Leven let her pride and anger get in the way of actually learning something since she was reaped. No matter what advice Nivea offers her, Leven keeps rejecting it coldly. She's actually surprised that her mentor hasn't given in at that point. Leven, however, has just about zero respect for Nivea and while she isn't really the greatest example of a good person either, Leven's spent a lot of time in her life, caring for mentally ill patients. Nurturing unstable and vulnerable people is an act that comes naturally to her. So to have watched Nivea manipulate a mentally unstable boy, driving him to suicide, just about demolished all the pride Leven had for a victor from Five.

Nivea stays silent for a while, observing Leven. 'And yet it is what salvaged me…' she says blankly.

Paying no further attention to her mentor, Leven turns away from the lecture, leaving her District Partner behind. It's not like she trusts him either, the way he made his way to the stage at the reapings as if he'd just been called to accept a prize. Pavlov has yet to learn the true meaning of fear.

She slides the door to her cabin shut and throws herself onto the bed, letting her arms drop on either side of her body. 'I'll miss you, dad… stay safe, got it?' her eyes well up. She wipes the tears away with the sleeve of her father's hoodie. Leven brings her legs to her chest and wraps her arms around them. She buries her face in her father's garment. It still smells like him. It smells of car oil, rust, and heavy cologne. She's gotten so used to the smell that it brings her back home. Back to when her father showed her how to fix a car for the first time, letting her get a feel for, at the time, seemingly enormous power tools. She remembers how her frail little body couldn't bear to keep up with him. How, at first, she kept complaining, wanting to go back to her room and continue reading her thriller.

And now…

Now she thanks him for everything he has done for her. For everything, he has taught her. For turning her into a lioness. He gave her enough power to realize when to let go of her father and hand him off to someone who'd be able to take better care of him. But she didn't abandon him. That's not something a Granert does. Ever.

A few minutes pass before she feels her thoughts drifting away, a gentle, tiring weight pressing against her body. Everything that's on her mind disappears as she waits for the sandman to do his magic and engulf her in his mesmerizing, golden drizzle.

And then it all happens so quickly.

The sound of an explosion rings in her ears.

The floor, no, everything around her moves simultaneously.

Vases shatter, screams echo, vibrations are sent across her body.

Leven counts the seconds for it to end. For her to wake up. But nothing happens and from one moment to the next a black veil covers her face.

…

'Leven!' a female voice shouts as two hands shake her body up and down. She forces her eyes open but all she can see is a blurry haze. It takes a few moments for her eyes to refocus.

'What… what happened?' Leven rubs her face with the palms of her hands, wiping the dust away.

'We had an accident,' Nivea says softly. 'According to the train driver someone apparently tried to detonate our train by placing C-4 explosives.'

'Whoever did this probably miscalculated the train's speed or arrival time, setting the explosives off too early,' Pavlov explains from behind her. Leven's eyes drift to the train. It's completely derailed, smoke still escaping from between the metallic crevices. The train chefs, conductors, drivers, and staff are all huddled together, communicating with the Capitol headquarters. There's something mildly beautiful about it all. Leven's eyes proceed to wander more. For the first time, she really realizes the absurdity of their location.

'Where are we?' Leven asks.

'The Wastelands,' Pavlov starts, giving Leven a hand. She takes it before he lifts her up to her feet. 'An arid region that surrounds the outskirts of the Capitol.'

'And how exactly do you know that?' Nivea asks, scratching the back of her head.

'My father's into geography.'

That's not true. Everyone knows that information regarding the Capitol is restricted. Why Pavlov knows what he knows remains a mystery but as of now she has other problems to worry about.

'Got it…' Nivea lingers awkwardly for a while before snapping back to reality. 'Well, anyway, I'll go check with the staff, see if they have any news.' And with that Nivea heads off, joining the crowd.

If Leven wanted to she could run. There's no one stopping her. Everyone is occupied with the dilemma. Leven wouldn't need to return to her District if she escaped. She could travel around Panem, on the run, no one stopping her. She'd probably need to pick up Beth, her girlfriend, from back home without raising suspicion first. That would be the trickiest part. She wouldn't be able to take her father with her because he needs special care but she'd always drop by to check on him. She'd never abandon him or Beth. Leven can already picture it. Just her and Beth along with a whole country, waiting to be discovered.

Leven subconsciously takes a step forward.

'Don't.' Pavlov places his hand on her shoulder.

'I'll kill you if you stop me.'

'And they'll kill you if you run. Whatever is luring you into this desert right now, you need to ignore it. I give you two days max before they find you and either place you in the arena without any training because you spent the last couple of days hiding hopelessly or they'll just execute you on live television to make an example.'

Leven turns to face him. 'I need… to run.'

'Then go ahead.' with those words he leaves her, joining the others.

Now is her chance. No one is watching.

Leven takes a step forward, then another, and another, and before she knows it, her feet are carrying her across the desert landscape. She hears muffled and panicked sounds behind her but they don't stop her from reaching the liberty she longs for so desperately. A whistle blows and a few men yell but they can't stop her, now that she's free, there is no one who is going to force her to play the Capitol's little games.

She can't wait to see Beth again. All she needs to do now is-

A rope ties itself around Leven's legs in an instant, causing her to trip, the rope still twisting and turning around her limbs. Unable to keep her balance, Leven's body plummets to the ground. She bashes her head against the floor and falls back into the comforting darkness.

* * *

Barracuda 'Arra' Bannister, 18

District Four Male

* * *

_The trees that surrounded Arra seemed more like pillars than actual plants. The Night sky was so dark and lushes that Arra was barely able to make out what was what. _

_All he had was a meeting point. Arra's eyes wandered to his stomach. He forcefully grabbed a big chunk of his belly fat and squeezed it between his hands. He still failed to comprehend why someone would want him, why someone was actually attracted to him. He barely knew Tonio when he made a proposal to meet up at the lake at night. Tonio was the younger brother of his cousin, Flounder's, girlfriend. So, yeah, they didn't really know each other at all before that fateful day when he confessed his love. After it had happened, Arra ran home, pressing a pillow against his chest and screeching with glee._

_Arra was starting to make up chunks of the azure lake. It was a spot he never knew existed. In all of Four, there is one single forest and no one ever dares enter it at night. All of Four's folktales stem from this very forest and yet the search for love beats all of Arra's fears, pulling him deeper and deeper until his toes finally make contact with the lake. _

_He got to the floor and dipped his feet into the alluring water. The only possibility for him at that moment was to wait and maintain hope that Tonio would actually show up. The silence was killing Arra. Once he shut his thoughts off and stopped creating splashing-sounds with his feet, he could hear everything and it was terrifying. His thoughts immediately drifted to all the tales he's been hearing about the forest. He thought of the Nicodemus. A creature that lurked in the shallow waters of this lake. It crept in the shadows and the moment little kids like him would dip their feet into the water, it would nibble on their toes, severing them completely and devouring them whole. Arra retreated his feet, bringing them back to land. _

_A few moments later he heard a rustle in the bushes. His heart skipped a beat, his hands shook uncontrollably, his teeth made a continuous clattering sound. Arra almost turned away, about to make a run for it, before he spotted Tonio, appearing from between the darkened trees. 'T-there you are. I was starting to get worried.' Arra chuckled. Tonio stayed silent but maintained his smile. A chill rushed through Arra's body. Something was definitely off. This wasn't the same Tonio that confessed his love the day prior. Back then his smile was warm and welcoming and authentic. It made Arra feel safe. It made Arra want to come out of his shell. It made Arra want to love again. Not only others but himself. _

_This Tonio was hiding something. His smile wasn't a kind one. It was a cold and wicked one. It was a harmful one, it was a sadistic one. 'Oh, Arra… I can't tell you how happy I am that you actually decided to show up.' he said calmly._

'_Yes, we really are grateful that you made it,' another voice called out from the shadows. A girl stepped out as well, joining Tonio. _

'_I hope you do understand why we are doing this, Arra…' a third voice spoke up. Another boy appeared, also joining Tonio and the girl. _

'_This is getting boring, guys. Can we just do it already?' a third boy popped out. _

_Arra didn't understand what was going on but he didn't like it one bit. The four of them crept closer towards him. Arra, still on the floor, looked behind him. He realised that he was cornered, the endless lake, trapping him. _

'_Are you scared, Arra?' _

'_Don't be scared, Arra.'_

'_Everything's going to be alright.' _

_Arra got up, trying to escape the situation but Tonio jabbed at his face with his fist, knocking Arra back to the floor. The four of them ganged up on him and started to lift him from the ground. They tossed him into the shallow part of the lake and started to submerge his face into the water. They touched his skin, his flesh, his fat. They made sure to squeeze every part of his body that he hated. Arra's tears weaved themselves together with the freshwater of the lake. There was no running away. Every time he thought he was passing out, they lifted his head back up, forcing him to breathe in._

'_You disgusting obese pig.' _

'_No wonder nobody loves you. You're too fat for this world...' _

'_You're pathetic. It's better that way. It's better for you and for everyone around you if you just died already.' _

_They said the worst of things to him. They touched on every part that made him uncomfortable all while immobilizing him forcefully. At that point, Arra wanted to leave. He wanted to give up. He wanted to die. _

'_HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!' a grown man's voice called from in between the woods. The kids mumbled amongst each other in fear, finally deciding to scatter. Arra continued to lay there like a corpse because that was exactly how he felt. He was humiliated and tortured. The man ran towards him, lifting him from the water. Finally, Arra was able to tell who it was. It was his uncle, Croaker. _

'_Oh, Arra.' he hugged his nephew tightly. 'Let's get you somewhere warm, alright? Do you want to stay with me for the night?' Arra nodded silently and the two of them left the haunting forest behind._

* * *

So this is it, huh? This is the moment Arra has been waiting for. Six years later and here he is, on his way to the Capitol to fight for fame, wealth, admiration, and honor. Everything he never got as a child, everything he desires.

And although he should be celebrating with champagne, together with his mentor and his district partner, Zo, who's out there right now doing what he should be doing; learning and using the knowledge that Atmos has to her advantage, he's locked up in his room.

His heart is beating faster than ever, which is strange because back in his District he was all confident and the crowd loved it. Someone from the audience even tossed a bouquet of flowers at him which he caught elegantly with one hand, blowing a kiss at however had gifted him the flowers. It was all fake, obviously, but Arra's started to learn that in order to survive you had to be superficial. You had to put up something that everyone wanted to see and not something that everyone should see. People don't like the truth and that's a fact. All the people who surround him would rather live in a perfect illusion and Arra knows what it feels like not to live in that illusion. Now, he'd pick the superficial life over anything and he'll gladly play along because it is so much easier that way. So much more efficient. He'll be the career everyone wants him to be. He'll be confident, charming, and courageous.

And although everyone loves it, he's not feeling calm. Everything around him is moving far too quickly. It's hard to fathom that just this morning he still stood in front of his own mirror, observing his naked body, seeing if he'd gained weight again, judging his imperfections.

There's no safety blanket anymore. The stress makes Arra want to eat again. As much as he'd like to stuff every inch of his mouth with the greasiest and fattiest of foods he has to keep himself under control. He cannot afford to fall back into that vicious cycle again. The beating of his heart rings in his ears, blocking out everything else.

The only thing Arra has his eyes set on right now is the anxiety medication on the desk of his cabin. He was allowed to take them with him, as a career. He pops the lid open and carefully picks out a pill and yet part of him wants to put it back and stop stuffing his anxiety into the far back of his consciousness.

'Arra! You coming? Atmos needs the two of us ASAP,' Zo calls from behind the door.

'One sec!' he places the pill in his mouth and swallows it. Although the medication didn't have time to dissolve in his stomach and do its magic, his heart rate automatically decreases back to normal, knowing that everything is going to be alright.

Because everything is going to be alright.

* * *

Phoenix Adler, 16

District Seven Female

* * *

The girl from Five, Leven, has locked herself into her cabin for over two hours now, and it's definitely been bothering Phoenix. As much as she wants to run in there and help the girl and coddle her, she's been told to give Leven space after the incident.

It was a shock, not only for Phoenix and Morse, but for the whole train staff. All they were told was that the Train from Five derailed and that their train was going to make a detour to pick them up the stranded on the way to the Capitol. It all seemed normal at first but as soon as Phoenix noticed the District Five female being escorted by two peacekeepers, she knew something was fishy. As often as people keep telling her to mind her own business, Phoenix can't help but have a need to tend to other people at all times. It's her nature and her brother always told her that it is the most fascinating and beautiful aspect of her, so she won't be changing anytime soon.

'I'm sorry, Noor, I...I just can't.' Phoenix sighs, letting her shoulders drop along with her head.

'You can't what?' her mentor shows a hint of dissatisfaction.

'That girl in there… something's wrong and I-'

'Stop. Listen to me, girl. If this is the attitude you have going into the Games I can guarantee that you will be an early death. You cannot be caring for other people right now. You have to look out for yourself, Phoenix. It's you and only you. As simple as that.' Noor rubs her forehead with her palm. 'So shall we continue with the lecture?' Noor holds the weapon in anticipation. She'd been teaching Phoenix about different knives and how to use them most efficiently.

Phoenix fiddles with a pencil between her fingers. As her mentor continues to speak, she fails to follow. All that is on her mind is the girl in her cabin and the potential sadness that she carries. And although Phoenix is aware that she should be looking out solely for herself right now, she won't just abandon all of her morals just because her name was picked from a bowl. If it were that easy for her to give up her integrity and what she stands for, then it means that everything she did for the children back home was for nothing. It would mean that she has no identity.

'So always make sure to grab the hilt at a-'

'I'm sorry, Noor. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others, right?' And before Noor can reply, Phoenix runs off, towards Leven's cabin.

She knocks on the door gently. 'Leven, it's me, Phoenix, I just want to check on you…'

At first, no one answers and as soon as Phoenix is about to lose hope and prepare herself to face an angered Noor, a click is to be heard, followed by a sliding sound. Phoenix enters the cabin. It's completely dark but her eyes start to adjust soon.

'What do you want?' Leven asks rather abruptly.

'You seemed rather sad when you stepped into our train so I wanted to check up on you to see how you were holding up.'

'I'm good, OK? Just leave,' she says her lower lip quivering gently

'Listen, Leven, I am aware that I have no clue who you are and what you've been through and that we're supposed to be enemies, all of us because we're playing this Game… but I don't believe in that. Why should we give up everything that makes us human in an instant just because of this Game? If we do that… well, then the Capitol truly won.' Phoenix places a hand on Leven's back as the two of them sit, side by side, on the small bed. Leven flinches at first but soon retreats back to her normal position.

Leven rests her head on Phoenix's shoulder. 'I-I tried, you know?' Leven whispers. Phoenix hears the stammer in her voice. 'I tried to run and they just… they just…'

'Shh, it's fine. You don't need to speak of it now.'

Leven breaks into tears completely, placing her head on Phoenix's lap. The teardrops flow down her cheeks, staining Phoenix's pants.

'They… they tied me up and they t-told me that if I… if I ever stepped out of line again they would kill everyone I loved back home.' Leven continues to cry while Phoenix runs her hand through the girl's hair in a calming manner. 'I love my father, Phoenix!' she shouts out. 'Just the thought of me having done anything to… to potentially endanger him… I can't just… I couldn't have...no…' she hides her face with the sleeves of her hoodie.

'It's going to be alright, Leven. Nothing happened… and nothing is going to happen. You ran because you have a will. All of us have a will. It just means that you value life and that is something you can't just give up…'

'I-I know but I… I...' unable to finish her sentence she breaks again. Leven is clearly in shock which is completely understandable. It has been a tough day for everyone, but especially for her. Phoenix notices the bruise on her right arm and a small blinking appearing occasionally from beneath her skin. They must have injected a tracking device into her.

While Phoenix should be afraid, she's rather excited for what is to come. She hasn't quite figured out yet why all of this isn't affecting her the way it is affecting Leven, for example. And while Phoenix may be calm and composed now, she knows that it's only a matter of time until she cracks. Until her time is up.

* * *

_ALLIANCES:_

_Careers: Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Zo (D4F), Arra (D4M)_

_New Friends: Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M)_

* * *

**We are done with the train rides now (finally)! I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. What was said in Arra's POV does not reflect my opinion (or the submitter's opinion) at all. Just throwing that out for safety reasons lol. Anyway, here we met calculating Colin, rebellious Leven, conscious Arra, and gentle Phoenix. I know this time we haven't seen a lot from the non-POVs but we'll get to know them later on. We still have a lot ahead of us, no worries xD.**

**There were, however, subtle details, concerning Pavlov and Cecilia. Did you catch them? **

**And what do you think of the relationship between Phoenix and Leven? How will it develop?**

**And what is Colin possibly up to? **

**I'd like to thank 20, SparrowbirdEliza, TheMayflyProject, Paradigm of Writing, Nemris, , and Anna for Arra, Zo, Leven, Cecilia, Colin, Phoenix, and Morse respectively. All very fun characters, waiting to be unraveled. **

**So, I hope you enjoyed this rather unconventional train rides chapter and next up we have the post-parade party (yes, I'm skipping the tribute parade, forgive me.) where we'll meet our remaining POV tributes Dimitris, Severin, Voxel, and Aditya. I'm super excited!**

**Please, please review. It would mean the world to me because I love reading all of your thoughts and predictions :)**

**See you next time! Bye!**

.


	8. Post-Parade Party: Just Keep Smiling

**Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide in Sev's POV. Also, the legal age of drinking is different in each country so keep that in mind while reading. **

* * *

Dimitris Apostolos, 18

District Two Male

* * *

Everything is foggy. Not literally. But it feels like it. The heavy bass of the beat vibrates in Dimitris' body as Capitolites and tributes alike dance in synchrony to the music.

This is surely not the first time Dimitris Apostolos has been to a party. Besides having been deemed 'The Greek God', not only back in District Two, but across all of Panem, he's also known as 'The Party King'. The number of parties Dimitris has attended is uncountable and folks always seem to invite him. If he had to guess, Dimitris would say it's because of the naturally good vibes he brings to any place he goes to, but maybe that's just him…

And yet, although having a reputation of being accustomed to feists, Dimitris has never experienced something as, somewhat, disastrously beautiful as this. Although everyone is aware that 23 of them will be no more in the next few days, everyone has forgotten their troubles and is letting their wild side show.

But that's not even the strangest thing about this. What truly is obscure is the party itself.

The Men and women, dressed in revealing and alluring, skin-tight, neon-colored, leather suits are belly-dancing on stage with Capitolites tossing money at them.

fountains exude a mesmerizing, pink, water-like fluid across the plateaus that the guests are standing on. Little cracks in the floor allow for the substance to flow under everyone's feet, illuminating the ground while blindingly colorful lights flash from all directions.

'Well, I'd like to raise a glass.' Arra holds his champagne glass in anticipation. 'To an amazing Games!' The six careers toast and drink. 'This party really is something… huh?' Arra adds. Dimitris catches him looking over at the belly dancers, his face slightly blushing.

'Sure is,' Goud sighs. They all stand there awkwardly. You could cut the tension with a knife. For a moment Dimitris asks himself if he should lighten the mood a bit but his District partner, Nastya, made it very clear that he should tone it down a bit. Especially after that fiasco at the reapings.

Maybe she was just jealous that no one cheered for her. But it's no surprise. If you're being called 'The Ice Queen' by everyone at the academy, you should expect a fitting treatment.

'Do you guys want to start discussing strategy?' Raja suggests.

'Now?!' Zo shouts out. 'Oh, come on, guys. We're at a party for god's sake…' she gulps the rest of her champagne down and proceeds to refill her glass.

'I agree,' Dimitris says and immediately regrets his decision once all eyes are on him. It scares him sometimes. He's surrounded by trained killers who will have no problem stabbing him in the back when the time is right. The idea that doom is pending and that there's nothing he can do about it sends an icy chill across his body. All of their eyes pierce him. If they wanted to they could chew him up and swallow him whole and he'd probably let them. 'I-I mean… we have so much time to plan and prepare in the upcoming days. It wouldn't hurt to let loose a little...right?' It wasn't a rhetorical question. Dimitris was actually seeking their approval.

Before anyone can answer a woman squeezes through the crowd and grabs Dimitris by the arm. The woman is dressed in a toxic green puffy dress, her silver hair reaching her torso in elegant waves. A single black teardrop is painted in ink below her left eye. 'I am terribly sorry for this unruly interruption, however, may I borrow you for a minute?' she lets her finger rest on Dimitris' chest, her other hand still locked in his arm.

'Yeah, sure.' Dimitris looks back at the pack. 'Sorry, guys. I'll be back in a moment.' They stare at him silently. He notices Raja's eyebrows furrowing, her head tilting slightly to the side like she's examining her prey. Then the mysterious woman pulls him away.

'Where are we going?' he asks as he's being dragged through the crowd but the woman stays silent. After a few seconds of awkwardly pushing through people and apologizing, they halt. A group of people with filming equipment is huddled together. One of them, a man in a glittery blue tux, hands the woman a microphone while another starts filming.

'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for tuning in tonight as we bare witness to an extraordinary event. Not only will this year's Hunger Games be the grandest to date due to the special twist, but we also have a very iconic person among the tributes. His name is Dimitris Apostolos but some of you may also know him as 'The Greek God!'

So that's what this is about. The woman raises her microphone in Dimitris' direction. 'Why don't you tell the viewers, who haven't heard of you before, who you really are?'

'Well, first of all, I'm honored but we are referring to my wrestling career, right?' Dimitris looks over to the interviewer. She nods with excitement. 'OK, good,' he chuckles. 'Well, yeah. I'm truly honored… and, if I'm being honest, I didn't expect people in the Capitol to know about all of this. As far as I was concerned it was a District Two thing.' he laughs.

'How could we not?! We need something entertaining to watch between each Hunger Games after all,' she giggles. While it felt odd, having that woman speak so casually about the Games to someone who's competing in them, he laughed along.

'Anyways, so yes, I am a professional wrestler and I go by the name of 'The Greek God'. I'm part of the PWE which stands for Panemian Wrestling Entertainment which is a television program that was introduced a couple of years ago, centering around different wrestlers, like me, competing for the ultimate grand prize. I'm a three-time winner… which is probably the reason why a lot of people might recognize me.'

'Oh, we sure do! Don't we folks?' she winks at the camera. 'So tell us, Dimitris, how did you end up competing on the Hunger Games?'

'It's been something that was requested for quite a long time. Between my shows, I always had fans begging me to take part in the Games. Their main argument was that no one there could beat me which is why I needed a real challenge and I couldn't agree more. I can't be called a warrior if I haven't passed the ultimate test. I've been training at the academy for just as long as anyone else and was actually at the top of my classes but I never nominated myself to participate in the Games… until now.'

'Until now,' the woman repeats with a smile. 'And do you think you can beat them? The other tributes?'

'Of course I can. I'm amazing,' he laughs, cringing deeply on the inside.

'Well, thank you so much for having the time to talk to us tonight! We'd love to chat more but we still have a couple of more interviews ahead of us.'

'Yes, of course. No problem, It was my pleasure.'

The camera crew packs up their things before disappearing in the crowd.

'What was that all about?' Dimitris looks behind him to find Zo, standing there with another glass of champagne.

'Oh, it's nothing…' it's better if none of the careers knew about his personal life. He'd just paint a target on himself once they notice that being famous does come with its perks. 'They're talking to everyone; they'll probably approach you too later on.'

'Oh, OK…' Zo stumbles back and forth for a while, waving the glass in her hand like a drunken sailor. Great, she's barely able to stand straight. Part of him likes it that way. She's not as scary when she's drunk. None of them would be as scary if they were drunk...

'Let's get you home, hm? I think you've had enough to drink for tod-'

'Tributes, gather around!' a voice calls. Dimitris directs his attention towards the stage. The Head Gamemaker, Cynthio Fontana, holds a microphone. 'I sincerely hope that you've all been enjoying this feist and I hope you continue to do so for the rest of the night. However, in the next hour, each of you will be called to come and join us in the VIP area located to your right.'

Dimitris notices a bridge, leading to a small island, surrounded by the pink water. 'There you will have a few minutes to talk about yourself. Your goal is to impress the VIP guests. They are sponsors who hold a lot of power. Get them on your side and you are sure to be in for a treat! Goodluck and I'll see each of you in the next hour!' And with that, Cynthio steps off the stage.

'Wait… so like what are we doing?' Zo asks in a drunken tone. Dimitris stares into her eyes and for a moment he feels bad for her. He pities her.

'We need to sober you up… quickly.'

* * *

Voxel Phong, 13

District Three Female

* * *

Some people have the unfathomable ability to walk up to a stage and enchant an audience as if their words were made of sorcery. At this very moment Voxel Phong wishes she had the confidence and courage of a public speaker who knew how to wrap others around their finger. All Voxel mainly knows is maths and logic. That's all she's been taught by her parents ever since she was just a little girl and yet at this very moment, Voxel regrets not having spent just a little more time writing and preparing speeches.

Before her name was called, Voxel sheltered herself at the periphery of the party in one of the darker corners. It was all so new for her to the point where she felt like a lost pup. So many people, so many colors, so much… dancing. It's nothing like back home and yet part of her wanted to grab the spotlight and lose herself in the rhythm of the music. Taking her physical impairment into the equation, she wouldn't have been able to dance anyways but that didn't stop her from bobbing her head cheerfully along with the beat.

However, the moment she was ordered to approach the VIP pavilion, her heart almost stopped. It felt like everyone around her just evaporated, leaving behind a frail little girl with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. _'Be positive, Voxel… be positive. You can do it_,' she thought to herself. She was going to impress the sponsors. She was going to tell them about her life back in Three. She was going to tell them about her cerebral palsy and how that didn't stop her from living her life, she was going to tell them about all her virtual reality projects and how they changed her perspective on life, she was going to tell them about her academic work and everything that her parents taught her. She was going to go up there and put on her biggest smile and just have fun.

And yet all motivation and drive abandoned her the moment she stood in front of the VIP guests who started seeming more like blood-sucking predators than actual humans. Even her usually stiff legs began to shake.

'Presenting Voxel Phong from District Three. Thirteen-years-old. Reaped,' Gamemaker, Cynthio, says into a microphone. He's standing at the very end of the vertically spanning island. Surrounding him are tables covered with sheets the color of snow and carefully placed eating utensils. A bottle of wine or two peek out from each table with people gulping the blood-like fluid as if it was their own lifeblood. Once Cynthio has presented her and the chatter started to calm down, Voxel knew it was beginning.

She just needs to be optimistic and everything will be fine. What's the worst that could happen? Messing up won't rewrite her fate. It won't undo what has already been done. There's no going back now.

And yet the words don't form in her mouth properly. Not the way she wants them to.

'H-hello… I am… I am...' she starts. Why won't the words form? It doesn't matter if she messes up. It simply doesn't matter. So why won't the words form? '... my name is V-Voxel.'

Silence. A thousand eyes pierce her soul, immediately dismissing her as an early death. As career fodder.

'Voxel Phong…' at this point they've all given up on her. There's nothing she could tell them now that will make her seem like someone to root for. '...and I have cerebral palsy.'

And with that Voxel grabs her trusty walker, her only ally that's been standing by her side, and slowly moves off the stage. Her time hasn't run out yet but Voxel has come to accept the fact that public speaking just isn't her thing. She tried it and it didn't work and there was nothing wrong with that besides the fact that she just diminished the already small chance she had of receiving any sponsors. All they knew about her was her name, which was already announced when she stepped in front of the audience, and her condition. Why exactly Voxel decided to leave it at that, still remains to be a mystery, even for her.

There is nothing wrong with trying. In fact, the most important thing in life is to try. If you never step out of your comfort zone or take some time to deviate from your normal habits, then you're just living the same life over and over again, every single day.

Yes, Voxel Phong was born with cerebral palsy. Specifically, spastic diplegia which causes her legs to become stiff. Without a walker or a wheelchair, Voxel can barely get around and do daily chores. But the most important lesson her parents ever taught her, is to never let anything in your life limit your options and to always find new things to appreciate by experimenting. It never hurt to experiment and to test your limits.

And that back there, that was experimenting. That was part of trying out new things even if Voxel didn't do it voluntarily.

Two avoxes rush to aid Voxel as she approaches the steps that lead away from the pavilion and back to the main party. One of the avoxes locks arms with Voxel while the other carries her walker for her. She nods at them with a smile and proceeds to get back to the main event.

Voxel doesn't really know what she's going to do when she gets back. Most probably she'll continue bobbing her head with the music. She likes doing that. As she continues to contemplate her options, she doesn't notice one of her walker's legs getting stuck in between the wooden planks of the bridge. Her weight pushes forward while the walker maintains its still position, causing Voxel to fall over. She tries to bring herself back to her feet by latching onto the sidebars of the bridge but without properly functioning legs, it's no use. She might just have to wait for an avox to come and scoop her up.

'Oh my gosh, let me help you!' Voxel looks up to see the girl from District Eight. 'Here, one second…' the girl wedges the walker's leg out of the crack and carries it to the other side of the bridge. She then runs back to Voxel, sliding her arms between Voxel's armpits and lifting her back to her feet. Voxel puts her right arm around the girl and the two of them walk back to the other side in unison. Once Voxel is stabilized again she, finally, takes a proper look at the girl. She has beautiful red hair that falls to her chest in gentle waves and her pale face is coated in freckles that seem to cover just the right spots. She's wearing a silky black dress with white strains of fabric falling from every corner. A strange sensation overcomes Voxel. One that is hard to describe. One that makes her feel warm inside but nervous nevertheless.

'My name is Hilda by the way.'

'I'm Voxel.'

'Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Voxel.'

'Thank you for helping me back there… I'm usually a lot better at handling myself, trust me.'

'No problem! As long as you're fine there's nothing to worry about.'

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Good.'

There's an empty moment of silence, one that Voxel wants to fill but doesn't know how to. She has a strong desire to gift Hilda with something, anything. This girl, who is a complete stranger, showed kindness in a moment where she didn't have to. Where she could have just looked the other way. She deserves a proper sign of gratitude.

'I'm sorry, I don't have-' Voxel starts

'Do you want to ally?'

'Me?' Why would this girl ever want to ally with someone like Voxel. Someone who is just going to be a liability in the Games. 'Y-yes. I'd like that very much.' the words jump out of Voxel's mouth before she can control them.

'Alright, great! I think I'm going to hit the hay after my name gets called. I'm exhausted…' and with that, Hilda disappears into the crowd.

Why she would hit hay when she's already exhausted, puzzles Voxel. Wouldn't that just exhaust her more? But all that Voxel is certain of at this moment is that she just found herself a friend. Someone she could rely on.

* * *

Severin 'Sev' Neferet, 17

District Eleven Female

* * *

There's just so much to observe at the post-parade party. This is the first time the tributes actually got to interact with each other outside of the Train and first impressions are everything. Sev is fully aware of that. She doesn't want to stand out too much but she also doesn't want to fade into the background and be forgotten. She'll never get sponsors that way.

Severin stands amidst the crowd of Capitolites laughing and joking among themselves, a wine glass finding its place in the palm of her hand. She twirls the glass periodically, the liquid twisting and turning with the repetitive motion. Her eyes wander through the crowd. Tomorrow she has time to find allies, today she needs to understand who she's dealing with.

Ever since she was employed in _Helpout_ Sev has started to understand people on a whole new level. The constant need to adjust to different personality types and to dig deep to find the root of someone's problems have given Sev a wide set of tools to work with.

Three years ago the depression period started in District Eleven. The economy in her District was at an all-time low, the peacekeeper reinforcement had increased massively, especially after the big demonstration that happened shortly before, and with that came to a mass increase in suicide rates. The inhabitants simply weren't happy and it wasn't hard for 14-year-old Severin to notice that. Even her mother had reached her all-time low during this period and the cancer didn't help. Once the Capitol caught on to what was happening, they enlisted a service that was supposed to combat the many suicide cases. That service program was known as _Helpout_. _Helpout_ was all about talking to people and letting them expel all their worries and issues. _Helpout_ also offered a wide variety of new employment requests and Sev was no fool to just pass on such a valuable opportunity. She signed up to be trained as a helper. The job of a helper was to meet up with people and to talk to them and to help them solve their problems and convince them that ending their life wasn't the right way to do it. Since she was too young to actually become a verified helper, she needed to be trained first and _Helpout_ offered such a training program. The Capitol even supported all the children who took an interest in the program financially. Obviously they only did it because they knew that a depression period would only mean a decrease in productivity which would lead to a degradation of the quality of the imports. Once Sev won a spot and finished her education, she officially became a helper.

And Severin plans on using what she learned during her time at _Helpout_ to her advantage. Sadly, being an employee didn't prevent you from being reaped which was a major bummer.

Scanning the room, she spots the District Two boy patting the District Four girl on the back. She seems to be vomiting into the water. The girl clearly can't control herself and given the fact that she's a career, that won't do her any good.

Then she spots a rather interesting conversation between the District Five boy and the District Nine girl. They seem to be whispering and in one swift moment, the girl places a mysterious bag into the hands of the boy and disappears. Odd.

The District Eight girl appears to be calming her District Partner who isn't all too happy about something.

And then there's the boy from Three. Alpha Mail. For some reason, his name is the only one she can remember. Surrounding Alpha are at least twenty Capitolites each looking up to him in admiration as he appears to be telling them a story. Maybe she'll approach him in the upcoming days.

As she's about to deviate her attention to the glass of wine in her hands, she detects a pretty little wallet, hanging loosely from a back-pocket of one of the guests. She shouldn't. She really shouldn't. If she gets caught she'll probably be punished. She shouldn't risk it.

Her right hand extends.

It's a really bad idea.

Her feet propel her forward.

She can stop. She still can. She just has to stop.

Her fingers touch the tip of the fine leather surface of the wallet.

There's no going back now.

In a split second, she yanks the wallet out of the man's pocket and walks away, squeezing the space between her eyebrows with her fingers while shaking her head in disappointment. In the corner of her eye, she spots the boy from Twelve facing her. She directs her attention towards him and the moment the two make eye contact, he smirks and walks away.

This is why Sev shouldn't have let her compulsiveness get in the way again. What if he rats her out? The way he smiled at her coyly, tells her that he's going to use this information to his advantage. He could get her killed… which would mean that there is one less tribute to worry about… which would increase his chances. Oh God. This is bad.

Severin brushes her hair to the side and struts towards the boy from Twelve. She pushes through the crowd forcefully with people staring at her as if she'd lost it. At this very moment, however, she couldn't give less of a shit what people thought of her. Once she's in close enough proximity to the boy, she claws at his shoulder and turns him around. His eyes speak louder than his words. He knew she was coming.

'Quite a sneaky one, aren't you?' he remarks. That's it. Now he's done it.

'Alright, listen to me, I don't care how you perceive me but let me tell you one thing, If you dare to rat me out, you'll be the first I kill in the arena, got it, pretty boy?' and with that threat hanging in the air, she walks away, just as her name is called to approach the VIP area and introduce herself.

Two avoxes escort her as she approaches the pavilion. Sev is still impacted by what she just did. This was the first she'd ever threatened someone in her life. Her mother, her role model, always told her to be kind and gentle and to aid whenever people are in need and to keep your anger to yourself. Well, sometimes you just have to resort to the worst. And this was one of those times. She'll try and minimize the frequency of such occurrences to the maximum capacity but when it comes to protecting her mother and herself, there's nothing she won't do.

'Presenting Severin Neferet from District Eleven. Seventeen-years-old. Reaped.'

'Yes, hello!' she exclaims with the biggest smile she can muster. 'My name is Severin but you can just call me Sev. What can I tell you about myself? Well, to be honest, I'm just an ordinary girl that lived her life, trying to get by every day. My mother… was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive cancer back when I was 14. The doctors told me that she has about four more years to live due to the disease still being in its early stages. Well… this would be her last year now…' the audience gasps and Sev can hear a few guests sobbing silently. And although Sev was close to crying herself she knows this was good. The sponsors need to live through her story to try and even come close to feeling what she feels every day.

'I didn't have a father, y'know? So it was all up to me. I had to take care of my mom. Just me.' she points at herself rather dramatically. 'So I started working for _Helpout_ which, if some of you don't know, is a service that was provided by the Capitol to prevent suicide. But that wasn't enough. I started singing at bars at night and made some good money that way… however…' she pauses melodramatically. '...It's, by far, not enough to pay for my mother's cure. Who knows, maybe if I win this game, I can finally free my mother of her pain and suffering.'

There's a moment of silence in the crowd which is interrupted by a couple more sobs. And then one woman stands up. 'You said that you sing… would it be possible for you to sing us something?'

Sev's heart skips a beat and for a second she starts to panic. She's heard of Capitol celebrities and how their mesmerizing voices can enchant anyone. She's nothing compared to them, but right now, this might be her saving grace. So she separates the microphone from its stand, takes a deep breath, and prepares to sing for her life.

* * *

Aditya Fields, 18

District Ten Male

* * *

The District Eleven girl's voice was magical. It was by far one of the most beautiful things Aditya has ever heard. So beautiful that a part of him wanted to taint it, to destroy it. After the girl is done, the VIP guests clap in amazement. She'd just received the biggest applause out of everyone. When Aditya told them about his family's meat packaging business, he only received a couple of sad nods and a few claps here and there that culminated in an awkward silence. One that made Aditya sweat as he left the stage.

So it is of course understandable that this girl needed to be eliminated as soon as possible. With a voice like that and the sponsors already down on their knees who knows what other destruction she could cause. And besides… there could only be one tantalizing person in the room. And that was him.

Aditya's no stranger to being the center of attention. With him and his family being public figures, the limelight is always on them. This is apparent, given the fact that his family owns one of the largest estates in Panem. Aditya even has his own charity for god's sake. How much more gracious could one get? His cause to build shelters for the homeless has been featured in many papers and supported by hundreds of people. Or should he say people's wallets. And, yes, things might be all rainbows and sunshine on the surface but the whole charity-thing is a complete and utter fluke.

Well, of course, there is a charity. He does need to have the appearance of a likable and kind person. How else would he get people into bed with him? It was the appearance that mattered and not what was truly under the materialistic packaging. And it isn't only him. His parents do the exact same thing. Their organically packaged meat is a cover-up that hides the true exploitation of their employees that takes its course behind the scenes.

With great power comes great responsibility. If only he was a responsible person.

Aditya refills his glass with a fresh bottle of wine. The way the thick fluid splatters out of the bottle reminds him all too much of the blood of all these poor, innocent girls that still mark his skin. He smiles contently to himself. Oh, he is going to have so much fun here. He had to make the best out of his situation and just the idea of being able to overpower anyone with pure force and dragging a blade across someone's throat without fearing the consequences makes this whole experience so much better.

For now, however, he just needs to keep smiling and lure people into his trap. The beast could be unleashed once they were all sitting pretty in the arena and the lines have been drawn. That is when Aditya could let it all out and cause some proper destruction.

Momentarily, there is something else on his mind. He hasn't had sex in three days. Three whole days. And it is agonizing. Why worry about who to kill and who to torture now when there was time for this later on. Now is the time to have some fun. The time to explore his other desires… his more intimate ones.

Around him are people from all walks of life. What most of them have in common is that they're all very attractive human beings. Never has Aditya been in a room with so many people he could see himself sleeping with. Back in District Ten, there'd always be one or two, maximum three, people who would catch his eye. Here, however, he's having such a hard time deciding who to pick.

The District Eleven girl is very attractive but he can't see himself doing anything with her. Whenever he looks at her, rage fills his eyes and that rage might take control of him and cause Aditya to do something stupid which he would regret later on.

The District Two boy is also extremely handsome but he appears to be busy caring for the girl from Four who's leaning against a tree, the corner of her mouth drenched in vomit. Repelling.

Then his eyes fall on the boy from Five. Tall, broad chest, good frame, perfect bone structure, and an impeccably shaped butt. He's standing next to a group of Capitolites, seeming rather disinterested in the conversation at hand. He is the one.

Aditya approaches his prey elegantly. The boy notices Aditya and maintains eye contact until the two are only a few feet away. 'Can I help you?' the boy asks.

'I'm sorry, what was your name again?' Aditya inquires, having no actual recollection of any of the tributes' names.

'The name's Pavlov.'

'What a wonderful name.' Aditya extends his right hand.

'I'm Aditya.' Pavlov takes Aditya's hand and shakes it. He has such a firm grip. Aditya can't wait to release all his fantasies on this boy and once he's done with him, Pavlov will be left begging for more and as soon as that moment is reached, Aditya will know that he has won.

'It is a pleasure to meet you, Aditya. How are you doing on such a fine day?' Pavlov laughs.

'Oh, I'm doing splendidly. I'd love to take you out for dinner this weekend though.' Aditya changes the topic. Normally he'd wait for a more subtle transition but the night is about to end and he is on borrowed time.

'I'd love to but you see… I'm supposed to be competing in the Games, so maybe afterward?' The two of them laugh and Aditya sets his hand on Pavlov's shoulder.

Pavlov stares at Aditya's hand that still maintains its position on Pavlov's shoulder. 'But you know what I can do? I could go get us some drinks.'

'That would be fantastic.' Aditya smirks as Pavlov disappears in the crowd. This kid is in for something. He doesn't like how confident Pavlov is. It angers Aditya. He tends to look for more innocent and shy prey. People who will easily get attached and will put their entire trust into his corrupt hands. But, surprisingly, Pavlov's charm makes Aditya want to take control even more and to show him who really is in charge here.

Pavlov returns with two drinks in his hands. He hands Aditya one and the moment it reaches his hand, he chugs it into his system. Pavlov does the same. The drink was surprisingly good. It was aggressive but sweet and a bit sour all the same.

'What is that?' Aditya asks.

'Just a little something special.' Pavlov grins.

And then it hits him. The sweetness turns to bitterness and the previously warm feeling vanishes as shivers crawl up and down his spine. 'I don't think I feel very… good.'

'Just relax and enjoy. Everything's going to be fine…' Pavlov dances to the beat of the music and the longer Pavlov moves, the more his body begins to stretch in all directions, becoming distorted and unrecognizable while the colors of the lights begin to fuse and the sounds around him become muffled and barely audible. His heart rate increases rapidly and he can't control himself anymore. His body goes numb, his brain following shortly after.

…

…

…

His head throbs like crazy and there's a strange taste in his mouth. When he opens his eyes, he's not at the party anymore. Instead, Aditya seems to be lying in a bed. The sun rays blind him, forcing him to shut his eyes again. Aditya barely has any memory of what happened last night. The more he tries to remember, the more he seems to be getting lost in a maze of his own thoughts.

'Wakey, wakey,' a voice says smoothly from beside him. Aditya gasps, pulling the cover away from himself and leaning against the frame of the bed in shock. It's Pavlov. And that is when he begins to piece together a few things. The drink.

'You… you… put something in my drink…' Aditya feels a cool breeze covering his skin and once he looks down, he notices his naked body. Quickly, he covers himself up again. This is the first time he's ever felt… shame.

'I might have slipped some neomorph into your drink, yes.' Pavlov smiles. 'And, boy, did you go crazy after that. It was absolutely insane. Totally worth it.'

Aditya is speechless. 'Did we…'

'Sleep together? Yep.' Pavlov gets up from the bed. Aditya can't help but admire the boy's perfectly sculpted body as the sunlight hits his muscles. Pavlov slips into a silk robe and ties it around his waist. Aditya almost wants to tell him to take it off again so he can continue drooling over his body. 'I have to admit, you sure do know what you're doing.' Pavlov winks at Aditya before disappearing into the bathroom.

Never has Aditya felt more wrath than at this point in time. The number of things he wants to do to Pavlov is, not only uncountable but also unspeakable. He is going to get his revenge one way or another even if it is the last thing he does.

Aditya will not go down without having made Pavlov's life utter hell. Nobody overpowers Aditya. Nobody. This feeling of vulnerability that he senses is so utterly new to him. It's disgusting.

Suddenly, the bathroom door slides open again as Pavlov's head peaks out. 'Oh, and you might want to head to your own room now. It's the first day of training and you don't want to be late, do you?' the bathroom door shuts once more before Aditya hears the sound of the shower turning on.

No more fun and games. It's time to get real.

* * *

_ALLIANCES:_

_The Careers: Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Nastya (D2F), Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F), Barracuda (D4M)_

_Federation of the Beans: Voxel (D3F), Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M)_

* * *

**So the chapters seem to be getting longer and longer although I keep telling myself to make them shorter, great lol. Anyways, so in this chapter we met: wrestling sensation Dimitris, pure and innocent Voxel, paranoid and hectic Sev with a story to tell, and vengeful Aditya. Dimitris and Sev are my own creations while Voxel and Aditya have been submitted by Platrium and Reader Castellan respectively. So we are done with the first cylce of going through all the POVs. There will be three or four more cycles and a few Capitol subplot chapters before the games. But we've now met all of the POV characters and we'll get to know them so much better in the upcoming chapters. I can't wait to tell their stories and as you could tell, the dynamics are already starting to form. **

**Two quick questions because it wasn't mentioned directly:**

**Can you guess who Pavlov got that neomorph from? ;)**

**What could Mune have possibly been so mad about?**

**So quick recap of the first cycle: **

**Raja seems to be collecting data on all the tributes and is still in search of an ideal partner, having dismissed Goud early on after having observed him play chess. Meanwhile, Mune found a good friend in Hilda who seems to be accepting him for who he is. Pamela made it clear that she has no problem doing whatever it takes to win these games. Dirk and Diana got off to a rough start due to their clashing ideologies. Colin begins to craft his master plan. Leven seems to have let her emotions get the best of her while her more stubborn side prevents her from learning valuable lessons that her mentor has to offer. Barracuda tries to maintain the self-portrayal of a perfect career, while hiding his true insecurities. Phoenix can't resist aiding Leven when she's in need. Dimitris tries to hide his personal life from the careers and seems to have struck an interesting relationship with Zo. Voxel messes up on stage but finds a new ally in Hilda. Severin also has a rocky relationship with Dirk due to her kleptomania getting the best of her. And, finally, Aditya is outplayed by Pavlov and now seeks revenge. **

**...And that's just the beginning.**

**Please review and I'll see all of you next time. Bye!**

**PS. Go vote now for your favorite nominations at the 2019 SYOT Awards!**

.


	9. Training Day I: Bathroom Breaks

Barracuda 'Arra' Bannister, 18

District Four Male

* * *

They barge into his room at 9:00 am, knocking frantically on his door as if the apocalypse were nigh. Still half asleep, Barracuda drags his body to the door, unlocking it and finally peeking to see who is there.

'Good Morning, Barracuda. My name is Elissa Hagarty and I'm here to pick you up for the procedure.' Facing him is a tall and skinny woman, probably in her mid-thirties. She has a clean-cut bob that sits ever so perfectly on her head. She looks at him in anticipation as she buttons up her pantsuit.

'What… procedure?' the words take a while to form. As a matter of fact, everything is taking a while to process in Barracuda's mind right now.

'The Injections, silly,' she says with a smile as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 'We have a packed schedule today so please do hurry.' Elissa glances at her watch, raising her eyebrows.

Right. That essence thingy, he still knew very little about. Barracuda shuts the door, quickly grabbing his training suit and putting it on. It's a simple dark-grey fitted t-shirt with a scale-like pattern and some basic sweatpants to go along with it. On the back of the shirt, his name and District are embroidered.

He runs back to the door, opening it to see Elissa complaining to two peacekeepers standing behind her. Once she sees Barracuda awaiting her at the door her demeanor changes. 'Alrighty! Let's get going, shall we?.'

Barracuda wouldn't be able to describe the way they took to the lab. Everything looks so similar in the training center. It's like they didn't even bother to make it look a little bit more pleasant and less bland, in general. They, together with the two peacekeepers, enter a room with a large glass frame that shows the inside of another room; a more modern looking one, that is filled with strange tools and machinery that Barracuda has never seen or heard of before. In the middle of the room sits a bed and if Barracuda had to guess, that's where he's ending up.

'So, what you see here, beyond that window, is the testing lab. This is where we will inject you with the essence. I will be waiting here, in the observatory, taking notes of the changes in your body. As you can see I am accompanied by other scientists who will be assisting me.' Barracuda peeks to the left, seeing four other people, dressed in lab coats, sitting behind their computers and typing their hearts out. 'All the other tributes are going through the same procedure as you are if that makes you feel any better. Anyway, although I am in charge of you, the head scientist is Professor Myriad Dane who is also the inventor of the essence. He will be overseeing the project as a whole and step in if there are any issues.' The way Elissa talks, makes it seem like all her words are protocol.

After Elissa finishes explaining all the details of the procedure, Barracuda is told to strip down to his underwear. Just the thought that everyone will be watching him as he exposes himself sends a small shiver across his body. Nevertheless, Barracuda takes off his training suit and steps inside the lab.

'Mic-check.' Elissa's voice pipes into the room through voice transmitters attached to the ceiling. 'Please lie down on the bed.' Barracuda follows the instructions and sets himself on the cold and stiff bed. They didn't even bother to offer him a pillow for his neck or a blanket to cover him from the air-conditioning. 'Now, all you need to do is stay completely still and not panic. The less you move, the faster we can finish the procedure.'

Barracuda takes a deep breath and shuts his eyes waiting for whatever is about to puncture his skin. He hears a few clicking sounds along with multiple things moving above his head from the ceiling. His curiosity forces him to tear his eyes open and once he does, he regrets it immediately. Tentacle-like structures scan his body with a blue light and between all the robotic arms, Barracuda spots a few arms with syringes attached to the tips causing Barracuda to swallow as he becomes increasingly nervous. He never liked visiting the dentist or the hospital in general. He hated the way everyone was so stoic and robotic and he hated the chemical smell that filled the rooms and reminded him of death.

'I can sense your heart rate increasing. Please just stay calm. It'll be over before you know it. Would you like someone to step in and hold your hand?' her tone sounded almost sarcastic and condescending. 'Barracuda? Do you hear me?' she asks.

'I'm fine, thank you.'

'Alrighty.'

He closes his eyes again and thinks of the ocean. Once the needles puncture his skin and dig into his flesh, he suppresses the pain and fear with an image of his uncle, Croaker. He thinks of the good times he had with him when they used to wake up very early in the morning to go fishing before everyone else got there. He thinks of the times when they'd go to the fish market together and Croaker would teach him about different species which would usually annoy the vendors as he grabbed the products and showed them to his nephew. But during these times they never cared what other people thought of them. They were just happy spending time together.

'And… we're done!' That was fast. It really wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. 'You can get dressed again and come join us in the observatory,' Elissa says through the intercom.

Once he sits across Elissa, he understands that this is a defining moment. He could end up with an ability that is really strong which would give him the control that he seeks or he could end up with an incredibly weak ability where he'd rather just rely on his actual physical skills. He begins to sweat a little which Elissa notices immediately. She responds with a simple smirk. He doesn't understand this woman. Does she find pleasure in detecting his vulnerability?

'The results are in.' Oh god. 'You have quite an interesting ability actually…' What does that even mean? 'It's nothing over the top but it should be effective enough…' Can she just get to the point already? 'You have the ability to survive without food. Your body doesn't need food to produce energy, allowing you to live without food. However, you do still need to drink water as an essential resource.'

Although a bit underwhelmed, Barracuda soon realizes how useful his ability actually is. He won't have to train to use it since it is a passive ability and while everyone struggles to find food, all Barracuda needs is water and he'll be fine. He could find a source of water and simply outlast everyone else but that would be a boring and non-career like strategy so he'll have to pass on that one.

At 12:00 all the tributes gather in the main hall of the training center. Cynthio Fontana stands on an elevated plateau with a fierce-looking woman to his right and an older-looking man with a lab coat standing to his left.

'Welcome! I hope all of you are as excited about this Quell as I am because it really is something special, isn't it? Now that the injection process is over and all of you are aware of your abilities I will let you know that you are not obliged to share your secret with the rest of the tributes. Only the audience will know the complete truth so it is up to you if you want to share your knowledge of your power with others or not.'

Barracuda scans the tributes around him. For the first time, he realizes that each and every one of these 23 other kids has their own little secret and that this year the Games won't be as simple and predictable as usual. The outlying District could so easily band together and, with their unknown abilities, take down the careers one by one. He couldn't let that happen.

'The first three days, counting today, are training days. You'll have time to train on your survival skills, become familiar with a weapon or two, and, most importantly, understand and control your ability. You are not by any means allowed to use your ability on other tributes during your stay in the Capitol and the consequences will be grave if you do so. There are special private training chambers where you can have some alone time to train on your power. The fourth day is the tribute assessment day and will probably be the most exhausting day for you. In the morning there will be individual matchups that will be monitored by Himeko Nakamura.' Cynthio gestures to the woman to his right. 'She will be the one to assign combat scores to each of you but more on that when the time comes. Later in the day, you will be scored on the control of your ability. This process will be monitored by Professor Myriad Dane who is also the inventor of the essence.' Cynthio gestures to the man to his left. 'And, finally, at sunset you'll be tested on your survival knowledge by me. Again, there will be more on that when the time comes. The average of your three scores will equal your total individual score. The fifth day is your free day where you can enjoy your stay at the Capitol and succumb to the luxuries that we have to offer. And, finally, on the sixth day, you will find out about your tribute scores during your interview… and then the games can commence.' he gives them a nod before stepping away from the platform and exits the training hall, escorted by three peacekeepers.

As everyone starts to explore the stations and become familiar with their new environment, Raja gestures for the careers to gather up. Barracuda is the first to join her, followed by his District partner. Once everyone gathers around Raja, she begins to speak. 'I think, especially given this year's twist, that we should elect someone as the leader of the pack. It would provide a lot more order and, to make it just, the leader would be chosen by a vote. Is everyone in agreement?' she asks firmly. Dimitris shrugs, followed by a nod, Zo exchanges a look with Barracuda both nodding in agreement, and Nastya ties her hair into a ponytail in silence. Barracuda can never tell if she's even interested in anything that's happening around her, given the girl's usually bored facial expressions.

'Can everyone receive votes?' Goud asks.

'I'm glad you ask, Goud. I think we should use a nomination process to pick who Is being voted for. You can also nominate yourself if you want to. And that brings me to my nomination…' Raja floats towards Barracuda, placing a hand on his shoulder. 'I nominate Barracuda.' Arra's eyes widen in shock. Immediately he masks his surprise and retreats into his more tough and confident nature. He has to play the role. 'I, personally, think Barracuda is the most well rounded of us all and would be able to take input from all of us and make the best decisions for our alliance.'

'Sure, why not. I'm not going to be the one to judge anyone's leadership skills, to be honest,' Dimitris chuckles.

'Would anyone else like to nominate someone?' Raja asks.

Goud steps into the middle of the circle. 'I'd like to nominate myself.'

'You?' Raja points at him in a condescending manner, clearly confused. 'I don't mean to be impolite but I don't think that you are fit to lead a group.'

'But I-'

'I mean, sure, you can nominate yourself. I'm just expressing an opinion which doesn't reflect everyone else's,' Raja interrupts Goud. 'So, anyone else volunteer?' she looks around but no one steps up. 'Alright then, raise your hand if you vote for Goud.' Barracuda, unable to vote, feels an ounce of pity for the boy. He was put in a position where it would seem unruly to vote for him.

'No one? OK then. So that makes Barracuda our group leader. Congratulations!' she rubs his arm in excitement. Why exactly she picked him remains unclear but all Barracuda knows is that if they want him to be a leader then he'll be one. Apparently they see something in him that he doesn't see in himself and he won't let them down. He'd rather die. Next to him, he can hear Goud muttering something to himself and, as Barracuda is about to turn to the boy and give him a pep talk, he disappears.

* * *

Phoenix Adler, 16

District Seven Female

* * *

_Cygnus lifts his axe and brings it down forcefully on one of the trees, decorating the forest. The trunk of this one was especially thick. Every time the axe hit against the base of the tree, Cygnus would grunt, clenching his teeth._

_Phoenix looks over to her twin brother, immediately noticing his body covered by a layer of sweat and grease. 'Cygnus, come take a break. You'll collapse if you continue exhausting yourself like that.' He embeds the axe into the tree and joins his sister._

_'Here, take this.' Phoenix offers Cygnus a triangularly shaped sandwich. 'It's with ham, tomatoes, and goat cheese.'_

_Cygnus looks up at his sister in confusion. 'Did you make them?'_

_'I bought them…'_

_'But, Phoenix, we can't-'_

_'Please just eat it, Cygnus. I know we're scarce on money but I got an extra-large tip yesterday from one of the lumberjacks for helping them out and you've been working so hard lately. You deserve it, brother… you really do.' her eyes fall to the floor as Cygnus envelops her in a hug and kisses her on the forehead._

_'Thank you,' he whispers. He takes a big bite of the sandwich and shoves the rest of it into his mouth before swallowing the first chunk._

_'Slow down or you'll choke!' Phoenix laughs, patting her brother on the back as he coughs with a big smile on his face. He's the only one in her life that manages to make her feel safe. Ever since their parents died during the great lumber mill fire, it's just been the two of them. After being transported to the community home, it was survival of the fittest from there. They had to work for every penny, live in a home filled with ruthless children who will use any opportunity to steal from you, and - the things that affected them the most - they had to live without their parents. Not one of them wanted to show the other any sign of grief because both of them knew that they needed to stay strong to get through this and neither wanted the other to carry that weight of moving on alone._

_And yet it never felt that way. Cygnus was always the one who took the beatings for her when she didn't listen to the headmistress because her head was up in the clouds. He'd never complain and it always made Phoenix feel so guilty._

_'Cygnus…' she starts._

_'Yeah?'_

_'One day, when we have enough money and have moved into our own place, I'll return.' she forms a fist with her right hand and holds it close to her chest._

_'Where to?' he stuffs his mouth with another sandwich._

_'To the community home. I'll make it better. There will be toys for all the children, daily excursions, fresh food, and they'll all be happy. I swear it. They'll all be happy…' her expression turns solemn as these last words fade away. For some reason, her brother isn't answering. She doesn't dare look at his face. He probably thinks that her idea is ridiculous and she wouldn't blame him._

_'And I'll help you.' Cygnus gives her a thumbs up and winks. Tears fill her eyes as her lips lift into a smile. Phoenix throws her arms around her brother and squeezes him, causing him to choke._

_'Oh sorry!' she laughs. At that moment she was happy. Because she knew that no matter what happens, no matter where she ends up, she'll always have her brother by her side._

* * *

Phoenix looks around in confusion. One second ago she was still in her bed, dreaming of the forests back in Seven, smelling the fresh autumn leaves as the wind gently caresses her cheeks. And now she's in a training center and needs to prepare herself for a battle to the death where she'll very likely have to shed someone else's blood. There was no way in hell she was going to follow through with that. Throw away all her morals, all her dignity to please an audience of conniving vultures?

Ever since they injected that substance into her body, Phoenix has been seeing threads of color around people. Professor Harleton told her that her ability was aura sensing, whatever that meant. She still doesn't quite understand the full extent of her abilities. Phoenix is just crossing her fingers that it is a bit more than simply seeing threads of color around other people.

She remembers Harleton saying something else, something along the lines of her body reacting differently to the injection causing her to have two abilities as opposed to one. Her other ability is 'blood healing'. Well, that's the word he used to describe it. Apparently she can heal other people's wounds with her own blood. She much prefers this ability over her other because there was an actual point to it.

And yet something is still bugging her about those strings. She wants to understand them because, who knows, maybe they'll end up being her saving grace in a dire situation. Phoenix soon comes to the realization that not every tribute has the same color of strings surrounding them. The girl from Three is surrounded by yellow strings, while the boy from One has red strings. At the far end of the training hall, she sees the boy from Eleven with blue strings, covering the surface of his body.

Out of nowhere, the boy from Two brushes past her, hitting her shoulder which almost knocks phoenix over. 'Oh- excuse me!' he waves his hands apologetically.

'It's fine.' she offers him a smile which, to her surprise, he returns before walking away. And then she sees them. The strings that follow him. They're purple. Instinctively, Phoenix raises her hands to examine them better and miraculously the strings start gravitating towards her. She gasps in surprise as they twist and turn in her hands until they form a blurry image. She sees a boy, his face scarred with fear, surrounded by five larger figures. However, Phoenix can't decipher the facial features of the shadows. She raises her head to take a proper look at the career boy, noting the similarities between him and the boy in her hands.

They're the same person.

Before she can take a closer look at the formations, the strings fade away, leaving a pair of empty palms behind. 'Darn it.' she bites the inside of her lower lip in frustration. So there's definitely more to her aura sensing ability than she thought. It might take some time but she has three days to experiment so it shouldn't really take all too long before she's got the hang of it.

Phoenix's thoughts wander back to the train ride and her encounter with Leven, the District Five female. She can still picture it, the way the girl cried on her lap, pouring her soul out to Phoenix. She knew it was the right thing to do, to sooth Leven's pain. Even if it angered Noor. If Phoenix hadn't been there, then the girl would have had to suffer alone and there was no chance Phoenix was going to let that happen. She knows all too well how keeping things to yourself can affect you mentally.

Over at the archery section, Phoenix manages to spot Leven, handling her bow and arrow rather awkwardly. Happily she strolls towards her new friend. 'Hey!' Phoenix shouts causing Leven to get startled and drop her bow and arrow. She makes some kind of groaning sound as she picks the weapon up again. Leven doesn't even bother facing Phoenix before getting back to shooting her arrow which ends up missing the mark completely.

'Are you feeling any better, Leven?' Phoenix gets closer to the girl. 'You know… after the train ride.' she places a hand on Leven's back. In a split second, Leven slaps Phoenix's hand away and stumbles back, putting some distance between the two.

'What do you want?' she hisses. Phenix observes her eyes. They have a kind of darkness in them, a darkness that she couldn't see before. The strings start to form around Leven's body but they're not just one color. They're a mixture of red and purple strings and this time, Phoenix can't get them to form in her hands.

'I wanted to know how you were doing…'

'Why?'

'Because back then on the train you-'

'So? Does that mean we're friends now? I don't think so. As far as I'm concerned, you're my enemy and I'm going to have to kill you,' Leven explains bluntly.

Phoenix, taken aback by Leven's response, simply stares at the girl blankly, not knowing what to say next.

'I…' she starts.

'Save it. You're wasting both my time and yours, so how about you start focusing on yourself because if we meet in the arena and you don't know how to defend yourself that wouldn't be a fair fight, now would it?' Leven pulls the arrow back and lets it soar, this time actually hitting the target. She gives Phoenix one last deadly stare which clearly signifies that she wants to be left alone.

Phoenix feels an empty pit form in her stomach and it hurts. It feels like her intestines are forming knots. She turns away from Leven and hurries to the girl's bathroom where she locks herself in one of the stalls, throwing her body to the ground. With one hand she keeps her mouth shut because no one can hear her cry, as the tears start pouring down her face. All the emotions resurface. All her anxieties, all her worries, all her insecurities, they all force themselves out of that very pit and more than ever does she wish that Cygnus was here by her side. She misses him and it hurts just thinking of her brother because they've never been apart for this long.

Between her desperate gasps for air, Phoenix barely misses the pounding sound coming from the boy's bathroom. Her sobs disappear as she pays closer attention to the other noise. She can hear faint cries between each crashing sound. Phoenix wipes the tears away and makes her way to the boy's bathroom, carefully sliding the door open and making sure that no one's paying attention. There she sees a boy, The one from Eleven, hitting his fists against the mirror, his eyes welling up with tears. Immediately Phoenix detects the bulletproof mirror stained with blood along with his hands which is enough to trigger her to take action. She runs towards the boy, wrapping her arms around him and pinning him to the ground. At first Phoenix is surprised by how strong she actually is, but soon comes to the realization that the boy isn't even trying to fight her, instead, he covers his face with his bloody hands and continues to cry.

'Hey, it's OK.' she lifts him up a bit and lets him lean against her. He turns his face towards her shoulder and continues crying there, rubbing all the blood against her uniform, but she doesn't mind at all. Phoenix runs her hand through the boy's messy hair before her eyes fall on the blood that's still flowing from his fists.

'Wait one second... I'll be right back, I promise.' she dashes out of the boys' bathroom and grabs the closest knife she can find in her vicinity. A few of the careers take notice and stare at her like she's manic and she wouldn't blame them to be honest. She gets to her knees, next to the boy, who's stopped crying now, and holds up her knife.

'W-what are you doing?' he stutters.

'Just trust me.' Phoenix takes a deep breath and slices the palm of her hand causing the boy to flinch a little. She groans in pain until, finally, she sets the blade aside and picks up the boy's hand. She lets the blood from her hands flow into his wounds and, miraculously, the cuts on his knuckles start to close up as the blood dries out.

'How did you do that?!' a flicker of yellow threads forms around his very strong blue aura.

'It's my special ability,' she tells him with a smile.

'Thank you.' he hugs her. This was the first time in a very long while that someone hugged Phoenix. Before, it's always been her who calmed others down like with Leven and the very boy who is embracing her right now. There's a little warmth that Phoenix can feel now.

'I'm Urid Dondarron, by the way.'

'It's nice to meet you Urid, I'm Phoenix. Phoenix Adler'

'Is there any chance you'd like to ally with me, Phoenix?'

'I'd love nothing more.'

* * *

Colin Kurz, 16

District Six Male

* * *

The possibility to see into the future. Now that is indeed a useful ability. Colin hasn't managed to build up the courage to actually use his power yet. What if he sees something he isn't all too pleased about? What if he's better off just sticking to the present? But that means that his ability would go to waste…

Colin gives himself a gentle slap across the face. This is not the time to start overthinking every single outcome, every single detail. He has to start preparing for the Games no matter the cost and Colin is aware, more than anyone else, that he certainly doesn't have the physical capabilities to keep up with a career or someone like Dirk or Aditya. Heck, just that thought alone causes him to snicker a little. Self-pity? Perhaps.

However, Colin's also aware of the fact that he has another tool in his toolbox. One that should surely make up for his lack of physical prowess. His beautiful brain.

And he intends on using his intellect to its maximum capacity.

'Alright, Colin. Focus.' he leans against one of the metallic walls in the training center and closes his eyes, followed by a couple of deep breaths. He turns his mind off completely until the noises of the other tributes around him are nothing but a blur of convoluted sounds. And, finally, even those sounds evaporate until there's nothing but blackness around Colin.

He opens his eyes. Still black. Complete oblivion.

What is he doing wrong? Why won't his ability work? Colin, about to switch back to the present, notices a small light flickering to his right. It's not just a light, it's a sign... but he can't read what's written on it. All of a sudden more lights start to flash in a variety of different colors that leave Colin in a haze of confusion.

As more lights begin to flicker, Colin becomes more aware of his spatial positioning and once his eyes turn to his feet, he finally understands his location. Colin is in the arena and he's not just anywhere in the arena. He's where it all begins. Moments before the bloodbath.

And there's only one thing on Colin's mind. Who is standing next to him on either side? It's still too dark to make up really anything but as far as he's concerned there's only one tribute with a smooth, bare scalp and that's Alpha. However, the tribute to his left is a bit harder to decipher. They have a very broad frame so they're probably male.

Slowly, Colin can feel his body being torn back to the present but he doesn't want to leave, not before he's figured out which tribute is standing to his left. As the arena begins to light up further, Colin can put together more facial details until it hits him.

Barracuda.

And then Colin is greeted with a buzzing headache back in the present. He gasps with shock causing the boy from Five to raises his eyebrows at him before turning his attention back to the trap construction in front of him.

Not the most ideal side effect of his power because his head is pounding like crazy. Colin makes his way to the bathroom and splashes some water on his face. Once he turns the sink off, he hears faint sobs coming from the bathroom stalls. Pathetic. If someone can't keep their emotions under control during such a crucial time then that isn't his problem.

Alright, so there are two things he learned. One, the arena is very dark. Two, he is surrounded by Barracuda and Alpha which certainly isn't the most ideal positioning given the fact that there is a murderous career standing right next to him.

So how does he make use of the two? And then it clicks.

He slides the bathroom door open, leaving the crying boy behind, and makes his way to the very person that is standing to his left. The very person that is most likely to end his life in the bloodbath.

'Colin, right?' another voice comes from behind him. Colin turns around to see Alpha Mail. This might be even more perfect than he could have wished for. He puts up his friendliest smile and responds.

'Yeah, that's me. You're Alpha, right? I just loved your reapings. You have so much courage and I respect that.'

'Oh, thank you, darling. I had to do it for the people, you know? Our District hasn't had a victor in ages.' he places the palm of his hand on his scalp in an overly dramatic fashion. 'It truly is demoralizing… I just had to restore the hope. For them.'

Oh boy. He was going to be a handful. But if Colin needs to feed that guy's ego to win him over then sure, he'll play along.

'I completely understand that. I-I don't know… I just wish I had so much integrity and courage like you do. Is there a way you could teach me?' Colin laughs a bit but leaves a hint of sadness and despair at the end that should signify his true discontent.

'I'm glad you ask!' he shouts exuberantly. 'I'm actually here to ask if you would like to ally with me. I've been observing you and I really do think that you are worthy of my time. You know what they say… intelligent people think the same. My mother, the great Queen Bea, once told me that.'

If Alpha wants to believe that these great minds think alike then let him think that. Colin barely had to move a finger and he's already got one of his two targets down.

'Yes! I'd totally ally with you,' Colin squeals with faux-excitement.

'Alright, see you around, my scholar…' Alpha winks at him before drifting off, leaving Colin to his other mission. The harder one. He needs to get on the career's side which might be more impossible than it sounds but Colin has an idea and his ideas tend to work.

He scans the room to find the District Four male and catches him vigorously throwing hatchets at a target, a few feet away from him. Colin approaches the career boy carefully and before he can open his mouth, Barracuda throws one last hatchet with very impressive force and faces the, in comparison, frail and weak Colin.

'Yeah?' he asks with his deep voice.

'I want to join your pack.' It's a risky approach but it might work.

'Here.' Barracuda hands Colin one of the hatchets. This is the first time Colin held am actual hatchet in his hands and he's surprised by the weight of the weapon. 'I want you to throw it at the target. Go.'

'But I-'

'Just do it.'

Colin holds the weapon with his right hand and stretches his arm to the far back. He's never thrown a weapon and he sure as hell won't land a hit now. But he also knows that there's no point in fighting the career. He swings his arm forward like a catapult, propelling the hatchet rapidly causing it to twist and turn in the air until it falls flat on the surface of the target and bounces off of it pathetically.

Barracuda scoffs which makes Colin's blood boil, however, he mustn't let his anger get the best of him.

'So you can't use a basic weapon… what _can_ you do?'

This is the question Colin was waiting for. 'Listen, I know I'm not the most physical, as you could probably tell, but I make up for it with my mind. I can build any trap you want me to build, you name it. I can brew any position, you want me to make. I… I can also see into the future.' He was hoping to make the reveal of his ability a bit more impactful but he was running out of things to say so better now than never.

Barracuda squeezes his chin between his thumb and his index finger and stares at the boy in silence. 'Fine. Tell me something about the arena.'

'I only took a peek once so far but what I saw was actually quite interesting. The arena is completely dark at first but as the countdown starts, the arena begins to light up slowly. Also, I'll be standing to your right.'

'And how do I know you're not lying to me?' The career boy furrows his eyebrows.

'I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't risk lying to a career if my goal is to join you. Also, the moment we enter the battlefield and you don't find a completely dark arena and me, standing to your right, you can kill me with your bare hands. You...you have my word.' Colin isn't actually as nervous as he's letting on. Careers like to think that they're the ones in charge. They have typical alpha personalities and Colin needs to make sure to behave like a beta in order to fit in.

'That's a fair point. Will you be loyal to me though?' Barracuda takes a step closer, placing his big hands on Colin's shoulders.

'Only to you... whenever you want to find out about your fate, just let me know and I'll take a look at the future for you.' Obviously what he sees would mainly be concerning his own position but Colin will make up a few things if he has to.

'As a matter of fact, I have intel that might interest you,' Colin begins. He's about to get his hands very dirty but it must be done.

'And what would that be?'

'Well, I've been invited by the District Three male, Alpha, to join an anti-career alliance. He's been going around asking various people. I turned it down and I don't think anyone else has accepted it yet. I mean, the guy's a nutjob…'

'Oh, he certainly is if he thinks he can take us down so easily.' Barracuda cracks his knuckles and a thick blood vessel reveals itself on his forehead. The career is about to walk in Alpha's direction but Colin intervenes.

'Wait! Wouldn't it be smarter if we just killed him in the bloodbath. We can pretend as if we don't know anything to lead him on and then out of nowhere we take him out when the time is right.' Colin consciously starts using the term 'we' to solidify himself as part of the alliance.

'Yeah, I guess you're right…' Barracuda sighs, turning his attention back to Colin who's staring at him with hopeful eyes. 'Fuck it. You can join us.'

'Thank you so much!' Colin claps his hands together in actual excitement this time.

Just as Colin is about to leave to work on some trap building that he promised Barracuda he'd be able to do, two other careers show up, Nastya and Zo. 'What's that all about?' Nastya asks.

Barracuda waves for the District Two boy and the District One girl to join them. Once everyone is gathered he begins and, for the first time, Colin actually feels sweat dripping down his body. 'I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our pack, Colin. He has the ability to see into the future which will definitely come in handy.' Colin smiles awkwardly, not really knowing what to say.

'Would it be possible to perhaps inform us next time before you make such a decision?' Raja asks, not even trying to hide her frustration.

'Guys, if you want me to be the leader you'll have to trust me on a few things,' Barracuda explains to the rest of the career pack while maintaining eye contact with Raja.

'Where's Goud, actually?' Dimitris asks, looking around in confusion.

'Speak of the devil, right?' the District One boy laughs, appearing from behind Dimitris. Colin almost didn't notice her, the girl standing next to Goud. 'On a similar note, I'd like to introduce you to Pamela, our new ally.'

He gestures towards the girl, she waving happily. But all Colin sees are Raja's clenched fists and the wrath that's crystallizing in her eyes.

* * *

Dirk Latimer, 18

District Twelve Male

* * *

This is not good at all. Why is he starting to sweat? The sticky, moist feeling is absolutely horrendous and makes Dirk want to scrub it off of himself until his skin starts to peel away. And why does it all have to happen after he spoke so blatantly to Diana?

And the worst part is, Dirk was doing such a good job at keeping his composure and it was mainly due to the fact that he accepted it all. He accepted the fact that he was a casualty of the Districts' resistance.

But now that he's standing in the training hall, Dirk has come to the realization that things are moving a lot faster than he actually wants them to and it seems like fear is starting to catch up to him. Perhaps before he shoved it all to the side and just focused on his book which was the exact same thing he'd done his whole life, accepting stuff and not thinking about it.

As Dirk observes the other tributes, he begins to understand that he might be in over his head. Everyone has formed alliances. The careers have introduced two new members into the pack which has become apparently clear by how The District Six boy and the District Nine girl have huddled together with the trained killers.

Dirk has always had an innate ability to be present without anyone noticing. His mother used to say that he's as smooth as the wind. This allows him to notice things that other people might not. For example, it seems to be the case that the District Six boy and the District Nine girl have formed a little alliance of their own within the career pack. Whenever the careers are dispersed, Dirk always catches them having private discussions on the sidelines.

Also interesting is the formation of an alliance, consisting of mostly younger tributes. At first, it was just the pair from Eight and the District Three girl but by now it seems like the District Nine boy and the District Seven boy have joined this little group as well.

By the looks of it the District Seven girl and the District Eleven boy have also established an alliance of sorts. The two are attempting to make fire together, laughing whenever things don't go their way.

And then there's his District partner, Diana. The two of them haven't had the best first encounter. It was clear to Dirk from the start that their ideologies were going to clash and he knew that Diana was a bit of a firecracker and yet now that he sees her bonding with the Eleven girl who stole the show at the Post-Parade Party, there's a hint of regret lingering in the air.

Why is it that she has found someone while he still stands alone in the distance with no one approaching him. Perhaps he's too intimidating. That could be it. Dirk never gives off a good first impression. All his friends back in Twelve have told him that. Apparently, and to his surprise, he comes off as arrogant, dismissive, and generally standoffish. Whenever people told him that a part of him wanted to shovel dirt into their mouths. Why does he have to change? Why can't people just adapt to _his_ personality?

But Dirk has another plan in mind that wouldn't require him to change in favor of others. He needs to get into an alliance with Diana. Seeing her throwing knives and building fires, Dirk knows that she can be a valuable ally. There isn't space for him in the career pack anymore and, honestly, no one else seems compatible enough to work with him.

It has to be Diana and although she hates him, there's someone here she doesn't hate and that someone is going to be Dirk's key to success.

Dirk moves to one of the water dispensers, leaning against the wall until the girl using the machine looks at him.

'Can I help you?' Sev asks with a little bit of spite in her voice. Their last and also first encounter wasn't that pleasant. Maybe everyone is right. Perhaps Dirk really isn't that great at first encounters. But second times the charm.

'I think you can, Severin.' he moves his head in closer. 'Is there a possibility that you are allying with Diana?'

Sev raises her eyebrows in surprise as if having not having anticipated the question. 'Uh- Yeah… she asked me this morning.'

'Oh, well that's great. Very great…' Dirk drifts off, letting his words linger in the air a bit too long and, seeing Sev's expression, his second impression might not be that great either. 'Well, you see… I wanted to ask if…' Why is he taking so long to get the words out? It can't be this hard to be vulnerable for once.

'You want to join our alliance?' she finishes his question correctly causing Dirk to sigh.

'Perhaps?' Great, he can't even bring out a simple 'yes'.

'Forget it.' Sev crosses her arms and turns around, making her way back to Diana.

'Wait, wait!' Dirk jumps up in front of her. He didn't intend on using his advantage against the District Eleven girl at all but by the looks of it, there's no other way and he was expecting that it would come down to this.

'You wouldn't want anyone finding out about that little stunt you pulled during the Post-Parade party now would you?' That's the only leverage he has. He laid it all out on the table. As a matter of fact, Dirk isn't even sure how much the Capitol would care that she stole a wallet, even more so given the fact that Severin has become rather popular among the audience, but as long as she doesn't know that, it should be fine.

'You wouldn't…' she contracts her jaw muscles, staring at Dirk intensively.

'Oh, trust me, right now I would. Unless, obviously, you convince Diana to let me into your alliance.' Dirk smiles brightly, showing his perfect white teeth.

He's not an idiot. He can see how much Sev wants to slit his throat since the girl doesn't even try hiding her emotions. She really is a strange one. At first, Dirk mistook Sev to be a gentle soul but it seems like he has awoken something in her. Something that she doesn't like to show other people.

Severin looks left and right before turning her attention back to him. 'Fine. Agreed.' before Dirk can respond, she struts away.

To end the day and clear his mind, Dirk makes his way to one of the private chambers where he can practice on his ability to control the wind. He can see how it matches his characteristics and he's actually quite happy with it.

The private chamber is surprisingly dimly lit. There's a lot of free space to move and the walls are made of pure obsidian. There's a calmness taking over the room to it and it feels good being alone for a while without distractions. At the far end of the chamber, there are four dummies lined up in a row and Dirk wastes no time testing his new gift.

He pushes his right arm forward with immense strength, causing a gust of air to shoot out from the palm of his hand in the direction of one of the dummies. Once the air attack hits its target, the dummy is ripped apart completely and smashed against the wall behind it.

Dirk can't help but muster a smile as he holds the palm of his hand in front of his face. This power offers him endless possibilities and with a bit of practice, Dirk should be able to harness his ability with perfection.

He faces the dummies again and notices how a new one has respawned, taking the broken one's place. Dirk makes a slashing motion with his right arm from top to bottom and in a split second the new dummy is cut in half cleanly, the two halves falling apart and landing on opposite sides.

Dirk runs towards the dummies and laughs once he sees the effect of his inner strength. These perfect slices could not even be achieved with the sharpest of swords.

Maybe he won't need Diana after all. Maybe, once he joins their alliance and realizes how weak they are in comparison to him, he'll just cut them loose and go solo.

He'll tear the arena apart in his, quite literal, storm of rage if that is what it takes to win.

* * *

_ALLIANCES:_

_The Careers (but with superpowers!): Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Nastya (D2F), Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F), Barracuda (D4M), Colin (D6M), Pamela (D9F)_

_Federation of the Beans: Voxel (D3F), Morse (D7M), Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M), Johar (D9M)_

_A Master and his Scholar: Alpha (D3M), Colin (D6M) _

_Healing: Phoenix (D7F), Urid (D11M)_

_Pending: Sev (D11F), Diana (D12F) _

_Loners: Leven (D5F), Pavlov (D5M), Cecilia (D6F), Fayette (D10F), Aditya (D10M)_

* * *

**I'm sorry. I went a little bit overboard with this chapter and I didn't intend on the word count being this high for a normal training chapter and I'll make sure it won't happen again because it took me way too long to get this chapter out xD**

**I think it has become very clear that everyone in this game has their own little agenda and no one is going to shy away from stabbing others in the back and doing whatever it takes to get by. Just the way we like it, right? **

**I'm actually watching Avatar the Last Airbender clips for Dirk's power to get some inspiration and the threads used for Phoenix's power originates from the emotions of the Pixar movie Inside Out xD**

**But, anyway, in the next chapter, there will be more shady stuff happening so look forward to that lol. It'll be the second day of training and things will only start picking up so fasten your seatbelts, everyone. **

**Please review as I greatly appreciate it and I love reading what all of you have to say!**

**Goodbye and see you all soon, hopefully!**


	10. Training Day II: Cloaked Fears

Pamela 'Pam' Chrysanth

District Six Female

* * *

_'Yo, Pam,' Mitchell shouts, gesturing for her to join him. Following his instructions, Pamela squeezes herself through the mass of sweaty bodies, finally reaching her boyfriend at the far end of the room._

_Underground parties tend to get a little...humid, and Pamela's never really gotten used to the mix of different body odors, confined within a dark room, mixing together with the smell of alcohol and drugs. But that's just her take on it because clearly she's in the minority given the number of people, willing to spend their Friday night, getting drunk and dancing in an underground club._

_The moment she reaches her boyfriend, he grabs her by the arms and pulls her close to his chest, the two of them locking lips for quite a long time. Well, at least it felt that way to Pam. A moment of undisturbed serenity passes before Pamela pulls away, not really wanting to._

_'So, what's up?'_

_'See that guy over there…' Mitchell points at a gangly looking fella. Pam can immediately tell that he doesn't actually want to be here, his friends probably having dragged him along. His head twitches from side to side, eyes reflecting a hint of fear in them. 'You know what to do.'_

_'Got it.' Pam smirks at her boyfriend, followed by a nod before weaseling her way through the crowd once more. It's gotten exhausting by now. If one more person brushes her back with their greasy hand when she walks by, she'll seriously lose it. Keeping her composure is certainly not one of Pamela Chrysanth's strengths, however, manipulating a wounded lamb… well, let's just say Pamela has her ways._

_'Are you nervous?'_

_'Sorry?' the frail boy jumps back in surprise, shoulders raised._

_'You seem nervous. Have you ever been to an underground party?' Pamela asks, dancing with the beat, rubbing her shoulder against him from time to time. It has to seem natural or else it won't work. She shakes her head and tosses her hair back._

_'Not… really.' he relaxes his shoulders and gets closer to her._

_'Let me guess, your friends dragged you here?'_

_'How'd you reckon?' he chuckles, scratching his head._

_Pamela slides her hands into his and lifts them. 'The point of a party is to have fun, dude!' She uses his hands to twirl herself, facing away from the boy, and once his arms are wrapped around her, hands still locked, she leans back against him. 'You're here, right? So why not relax a little and enjoy yourself?'_

_'I-I don't know how…' he pulls his hands back, Pamela pushing away from him and turning her head towards him._

_'I have something that might help…' Pam slides a little bag out of her pocket. A sole neon blue pill sitting pretty within the packaging._

_'I'm not sure I-'_

_'Trust me.'_

_The boy looks around frantically. 'How much?'_

_Pam smiles cheekily. 'Listen, I'll cut the price in half. I kinda like you, and you do seem like a good guy. 80 dollars.' The boy grabs his wallet and pulls out a couple of bills, handing them to Pamela who shifts the bills from one hand to another, counting them._

_'Alright, here you go.' she drops the bag in his palms. 'Now the party can really start.' with a final wink, she vanishes between the crowds._

_Pamela takes a seat at the bar, resting her chin on her hand. One more hour and then she can go home, something she's not really looking forward to. 'Why so somber, girl?' Helvetica, who's working at the bar, asks._

_'I don't know, Hel... I feel like I'm about to burst into flames.'_

_'I really hope you mean that metaphorically', she laughs._

_Pamela moans, burying her face in her hands. Her head is throbbing like crazy. She's not even sure if it's the music or the stress or the fatigue but it's all pulling her under, suffocating her._

_She feels Helvetica's icy hand rest on her arm that's laid out on the counter. 'I hate how your hands are always cold.' Pam looks up at her friend who's grimacing now._

_'Come on, lighten up a bit. Just look at Tim and Tom pole dancing. Like that can't not put a smile on your face.'_

_She's right. Tim and Tom are just adorable when they perform. They're professional stripers but Pamela's gotten to know them so well by now that she can't really take them seriously. If someone asked her about her family, she'd never mention her father. She'd talk about her amazing boyfriend Mitchell who always takes care of her, she'd talk about her best friend Helvetica who's always there when she needs to vent, she'd talk about Tim and Tom who are the funniest human beings she's ever met, she'd talk about Dina who'll stand up to anyone who tries to hurt Pamela. She'd talk about all of them. Because they're her family. Her real family._

* * *

'So we're part of the careers now, huh?' Pamela tilts her head towards the District Six boy, Colin. After yesterday's events, the two of them are officially part of the big career alliance that, if Pam were to guess, are going to dominate these Games.

'Yup.' Colin's eyes remain focused on the floor as he leans against a metal wall, hands dug into his side pockets. 'How'd you get in?' Finally, he turns his attention towards her.

'I actually don't know,' she chuckles. 'I was just throwing some knives and apparently that impressed Goud so… now I'm here. I'm not complaining.'

'You must have been damn good.' A sly crack of a smile forms on Colin's lips.

'Debatable. The club I work- worked at had an actual knife throwing range. It was pretty sick.'

'You worked at a club? That must have been cool.'

'I guess... but the place was always packed and I get sick of people very easily.'

'You have no idea how much I can relate to that.'

'Not a people person either?'

'Not really, no.'

Pamela and Colin stare into each other's eyes silently before breaking into laughter. It's refreshing to have someone like Colin around. Pamela, herself, doesn't understand why she's drawn to the boy. Normally, she'd never make an effort to actually get to know someone unless there's an ulterior motive behind it. Colin, however, is smart. She sees it in his eyes, she sees it in his smile, she sees it in the way he observes his competition. He has this matureness radiating off of him that Pamela can't help but be attracted to.

'Colin.'

'Yeah?'

'We're surrounded by careers and it's clear as the sun that each of those meatheads has their own agenda. We need each other.'

'I agree. Both of us are smart individuals. If we put our minds together we have this game in the palm of our hands.' Colin rubs his hands together. 'I feel like a cartoon villain.' he laughs.

'Oh my god, now that you mention it, you are kind of a cartoon villain.' There's something else that Pamela wants to ask him but she's unsure of how he'll react to her request. It could potentially destroy their newly formed alliance but it's a risk she's going to have to take. 'Colin, I'll need you to do me a favor.'

The boy from Six raises his eyebrows in anticipation. 'Go ahead, Pamela Chrysanth.'

'So, my power allows me to exhale a gas that affects people differently based on my mood and if I'm being completely honest, I don't understand the limitations of this ability and-'

'And you want to test your powers on me.' Colin interrupts her, crossing his arms.

'Yeah…'

'But then we'd be breaking the rules.' Colin frowns cheekily before breaking into a small chuckle. Pam watches him carefully. She watches his every move, trying to read the expressions off of his face and yet he offers her nothing. Nothing to deduce. This boy might have the best poker face Pamela's ever seen. Then she sees it. A small nibble on his lower lip before his head twists in her direction like an owl having spotted its prey.

'Fine. I'll be your test subject.'

Pam's teeth shine brightly from in between her smile as she claps her hands together in excitement. Why he actually agreed to her proposal puzzles Pam a bit. Crooked little kids like him are always planning ten steps ahead and if they're going to be allies, she'll have to play his game.

* * *

Dimitris Apostolos, 18

District Two Male

* * *

One of the holograms attempts to pounce at him from behind but Dimitris catches it in time and jumps out of the way, lifting his battle-axe and bringing it down on the recovering bundle of light. Just as he watches his victim crumble into a thousand fragments, another one charges at him. Dimitris tightens the grip around his weapon, ready to charge with equal power but from the corner of his eye, another hologram seems to be slithering its way in his direction. Dimitris runs towards the first one and twirls his axe around the axis of his own body like a whirlwind, slicing one of the holographic images in half. Gathering his remaining power he tosses the axe at the last one, nearly missing his enemy but still landing a solid hit that knocks his opponent out.

Dimitris pounds his chest with his fist. 'I call this one the double-tornado-extremo.' The truth is, Dimitris has no clue what he's doing. The double-tornado-extremo, that's just a move that's used in one of his favorite fighting games. There's no calculation in his moves, there's no real strategy that goes into his every action. The flying axe hitting the hologram was lady luck bestowing her gracefulness upon him. And as long as the careers don't find out everything should be just fine.

'Dimitris.' A cold shiver runs up and down his spine as he holds his mouth shut as not to shout. Dimitris turns around to find Raja staring at him from behind the glass frame. Her index finger gestures for him to come over. Dimitris places the battle-axe on the weaponry wall and leaves the chamber of holograms 'Hurry, Barracuda wants us to gather around and discuss plans.' without specifying she walks away from Dimitris, even before he reaches her. Sometimes Dimitris forgets she's human and not just some kind of intergalactic, hot robot woman. Now that he thinks about it, that description would also apply towards Nastya…

He proceeds to follow Raja into one of the private training halls dedicated to experimenting with your powers. Standing in a circle within the chamber are all of the other careers, including Colin Kurz from District Six and Pamela Chrysanth from District Nine, the newcomers. They all stare at him as he walks in and for a split second Dimitris wishes he could bury himself into the ground and never come back. No matter how hard he tries to get used to it, he can't. They're all so terrifying and so serious and so… different.

'Glad you made it too, Dimitris.' Barracuda says. 'I called all of you here because I feel that it's necessary to discuss our abilities which should help us get to know each other a bit better.' Next to him, Raja nods like a proud mother. Dimitris can't recall a moment when the District One girl wasn't hovering around Barracuda like an overly obsessive soccer mom.

'I agree with Barracuda. Let me begin, my ability is electrokinesis. It means that I can control electricity.' to demonstrate, Raja faces one of the dummies, summoning an orb of light with her hands. It has a mesmerizing glow to it that Dimitris can't get enough of. She aims at her target and sends the orb soaring towards it, completely annihilating the dummy in a glorious explosion. It almost looked like she was about to bow, the way she turned back to them.

Dimitris begins to clap in excitement. Raja deserves it; she's clearly taken the time to understand her ability and the precision with which she destroyed that dummy shows that. Sadly, none of the others join in on his applause, leaving him feeling rather awkward as his clapping slowly begins to fade away.

'I'll go next.' Nastya doesn't bother explaining her power. She's the type of girl to show rather than tell. For a moment it seems like she's walking elegantly towards one of the dummies. It takes a few moments for Dimitris to come to the realization that she's floating. No. Sliding. His eyes fall to the ground beneath her that's now covered in an icy glaze. When she gets close enough to the dummy, she builds a spear of ice that rests delicately in her hands. It seems so frail; like it would shatter in an instant. It doesn't take long for Dimitris to be proven wrong as Nastya slides her crafted weapon into her target's chest. Nastya's other hand grabs the dummy's shoulder to prevent herself from colliding into it.

The rest of the abilities weren't as impressive as Nastya and Raja's skillful demonstrations. Goud showed a more sly side of himself as he morphed into various tributes. One moment Dimitris had two Nastya's giving him the evil eye and in a split second, he had a doppelgänger patting him on the back. Colin had already explained his ability to them previously so there was no need for him to prove himself. Pamela, on the other hand, warned the others to cover their mouths. She took a few steps away from the rest of the careers, tilting her head back slowly and releasing a colorful gas out of the pit of her throat. It was beautiful to look at but the longer it lingered in the air, the more its color began to wash away, leaving behind a dusty, grey cloud. Apparently, her gas can make people more aware of their surroundings and heighten their senses. A bit of a useless ability for her. Barracuda didn't need to show his powers since it was a passive one he couldn't actually control and watching him stay satiated would have gotten boring really quickly.

Finally, it's his turn. 'Goud.' the boy responds to Dimitris' call, lifting his head. 'I need you to punch me.' Goud laughs brushing the thought away quickly.

'Wait, you're serious?' His joyful expression drops as he freezes in his place.

'Hell yeah, dude. Now come over here and show me what you got.'

'Are you sure…?'

Dimitris rolls his eyes in exasperation. 'Fine whatever, I'll ask someone else.'

'No, no! I'll do it, I'll do it.' Goud flexes his chest, pushing his shoulders back and with one deep breath he charges at Dimitris, striking him in the stomach with a powerful hit. It hurts like hell and Dimitris can't hold back his wince but if the pain stops now it would all have been for nothing.

'Again!' Goud throws another punch. 'Again!' Goud kicks Dimitris in his chest. 'Again!' Goud aims for his face but Dimitris blocks the attack, holding the pretty boy's balled fist in his hand, lifting Goud high into the air with one arm. He places him on the ground again, gently and sprints towards the dummies. One by one he rips them free from their solid attachments and hurls them at the adjacent wall. It all looks effortless and it is. According to his essence-counselor the more physical pain Dimitris feels, the stronger and faster he gets. When he turns back to the careers, their jaws are wide open. Raja's finger rests on her bottom lip, her eyes ripping into him from a thousand different angles.

'Alright, Zo, you're-' Barracuda starts. 'Guys, where's Zo?' The others look around but she's nowhere to be seen.

'I'll go check on her.' Dimitris volunteers and before anyone can stop him, he jolts out of the private training room. The bright light of the outside is blinding at first but his eyes adjust quickly. After searching at every station, he finally catches her in the cafeteria, poking a jelly-like structure with her fork.

'Zo, whatcha doin'? You kinda flaked out back there…'

'Oh, did I? I didn't realize…' she responds with a pouting expression.

'Funny.' Dimitris takes a seat next to her. 'What the hell is that?' he points at the jelly on her plate. 'And why is it purple?'

'Try it.' she digs into the jello with her spoon and holds the goo in front of Dimitris' lips. Dimitris extends his neck like a baby bird, taking in the substance. His curious and intrigued expression goes pale as his face contracts into pure disgust.

'I need a napkin,' he mumbles trying to keep the gelatin in his mouth.

'Here you go,' Zo laughs.

'What even is that?!' Dimitris yells perhaps a little too loudly given the woman at the cantine raises her eyebrows.

'It's aubergine gelatin.' Zo says in a matter-of-fact kind of tone as if she'd been eating it all her life.

Dimitris' wide eyes linger on her.

'And you're enjoying this?' he asks

'Fuck no. this is disgusting.' she brushes her hair over her shoulder, taking another spoonful of the jelly. Dimitris can't help but notice the beautiful and gentle waves of her hair that fall to her lower back; the way its hazel-brown color is in such unison with her smooth, tanned skin. Back home, he'd do just about anything to get a girl like her. But he's not home and those piercing green eyes that caress his soul so gently might be the last thing he's ever going to see in the arena if he doesn't tread carefully.

As much as he wants to be her friend, as much as he wants to believe that she's just another person with a heart just like him, with emotions just like him, with empathy just like him, there's always going to be this cloaked fear hiding in the shadows that's guiding him and telling him that all these people he's surrounded by are out for blood. That they're all merciless killers.

'But I might not have long to live so I thought why not... ' Zo continues, lowering her spoon. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I'm going to die. I wouldn't have volunteered if I didn't think I had it in me but there's always this doubt… you know what I mean?'

And just like that Dimitris' heart melts away into an orb of blissful ignorance and the cloaked fear slithers away for a few seconds. 'I know exactly what you mean, Zo.'

'Would you… um…. Want to like… I dunno…' the girl stares at him, eyes wide and a small crack of a smile. This feels so weird. Why won't the words form the way that they're supposed to? He's not asking her on a date or anything, and even if he was, he never had any issues when it came to making girls fall in love with him. '...ally with me?'

'Sure.' she says finally, taking a sip of water, eyes still lingering on him.

'Really?!' he calls out, again, perhaps a little too loudly. 'I mean, yeah, cool, awesome, see ya later… alligator.'

As he walks away, Dimitris plants his hand on his face. Alligator? Really?

* * *

Severin 'Sev' Neferet, 17

District Eleven Female

* * *

Why is it that whenever Severin dares to make eye contact with that damned boy from Twelve, he always seems to be staring right back at her, taunting her. It's absolutely ridiculous. Even now, when she's trying to build a shelter, she catches him speaking to one of the peacekeepers and that usually wouldn't be a problem at all. Except for the fact that every so often he'll turn his head towards her and smile. But it isn't just any kind of smile. It's the kind of smile that's supposed to tell her that he has all the power in their 'dynamic' relationship. What if he's telling them right now that she stole from that Capitolite? What if they're discussing her punishment?

Her mother doesn't know about her kleptomania. She doesn't know that simply singing and working at _Helpout_ would never be enough to get her the proper medical treatment she needs. But her mother doesn't need to know that after her gigs when everyone's nice and drunk, she'll slip her sly little fingers into one or two of the guests' pockets and stuff a few bills into her bra. She doesn't need to know that when her clients are pouring their hearts out and need to go to the bathroom for a quick moment to recover, Severin would look through all their belongings trying to find something useful like an expensive watch perhaps or some cheap makeup she can sell or just money in general. Whatever it takes. It's always been that way.

'Psst, Sev.' Diana nudges her a little, snapping Severin out of her temporary trans. 'You seem distracted…' Diana places a bunch of differently sized twigs on the dirt.

It didn't take long for Severin and Diana to realize how well they'd work together. Although it was Diana who did approach Sev first, the need and want to ally was utterly mutual. In fact, Severin was glad that Diana made the first step since she probably wouldn't have managed to approach the girl. Diana just exudes this threatening aura that Sev was wary of at first. But the moment the two of them had gotten used to each other's presence the conversation began to flow naturally.

'I'm good, don't worry. You know how detached I am.' Diana doesn't respond at first. Why is this girl so intense all the time? Severin tries not to blush in the moments of silence. The way Diana peers at her, stripping Severin to her core, is a little too much sometimes.

'Sure,' Diana finally responds, proceeding with her work on the wonky looking shelter, if you can even call it that. Perhaps the reason why the two of them were initially attracted to each other is that they share a lot of qualities. Both of them are on the older side, they both come from poor, outlying Districts, and they've both seen some shit. Although Diana hasn't exactly opened up to Severin quite yet, she can tell that Diana's been through a lot just like herself.

As Diana curses silently, trying to build a stable base for their structure, a loud thud catches Sev's attention, her head shooting up in an instant. Her eyes fall on a knife embedded in one of the targets, almost hitting the bullseye. And then a current spreads across her body. The same current as before, when Dirk was talking to that peacekeeper because now that very same boy is haunting her once more. This time adding a quick wink before lifting another blade and aiming it at the target. Sev turns away quickly, not wanting to share his presence any longer.

There's only one thing he desires from her. One simple question lingering in the air. A question that would break the pressure suffocating her from all sides.

'I lied.' Diana freezes, kicking the unstable base of their pile of wood, causing the whole thing to come tumbling down. 'Hey, what did you do that for?'

'Oh, sorry, did you actually think whatever the fuck we were trying to pile here was actually going to work?' she says aggressively but adding a smile at the end to lighten her tone a bit.

'Alright, fine. It did suck.'

'More importantly, I _knew_ it.' Diana raises her fist in victory. 'Now tell me what's up.'

'Dirk asked me something that-'

'Oh, that guy? Yeah, don't even bother with him. He's a self-centered, stubborn, narrow-minded dickhead. You shouldn't take anything he says to you seriously and if he continues on bothering tell me and I'll go deal with him myself.' Severin catches little sparks of fire forming on the tip of Diana's fingers.

'No, it's not that… he asked if he could join our alliance.' Sev doesn't dare make eye contact with Diana who went silent all of a sudden.

'Forget it.'

'Why not, I mean he-'

'No. He supports the Capitol. He… he thinks all of this is acceptable. He thinks what happened to my family was a necessary action that had to be taken to maintain peace.'

'And what if I told you that I'd feel safer with him around?'

'Then you can go ally with him by yourself if that's what you want.'

'Don't be ridiculous, Diana, I want to ally with you… more than with him. If it comes down to it I'll always pick you. We can get rid of him the moment we feel safe and can stand on our own two feet. It's just… what if we encounter the careers? It wouldn't hurt to have someone to aid us when we're in need.

For the first time, Diana didn't respond in heated and fiery fashion, instead, she bites her lower lip, eyes focused on her feet.

'I won't talk to him.'

'Got it.'

'I won't look at him.'

'Completely fine.'

'I won't even acknowledge his presence.'

'Totally acceptable.'

'Fine. He can join.'

Sev wraps Diana in a warm and comforting hug. 'I'll return the favor sometime.'

Diana smiles. 'You better.'

And now, for a small moment, Severin feels like things might be coming together, like she might have figured her problems out. There's still a shadow in the form of a dangerous boy looming... but as of now, that shadow is stuffed deep down into her closet

* * *

Leven Granert, 14

District Five Female

* * *

If there's one thing that Leven regrets the most, then it was opening up and showing her more vulnerable side to a complete stranger. It was just bad timing that Phoenix had to catch Leven when she was at her lowest. Just as all her hope was robbed away in the blink of an eye.

There's no denying it, it felt oddly good crying on the girl's lap. It was much needed human contact that she craved after having had multiple strangers pin her to the ground, piercing her skin with needles. The moment Phoenix put her arms around Leven, all the emotions she tried to hide away from the outside world, resurfaced in a shameful fiasco.

And now Leven's just plain uncomfortable. Just thinking of how weak she was back then in her cabin makes her want to vomit her heart out. She barely knows Phoenix for god's sake. Leven's dismissiveness towards the girl yesterday wasn't completely on purpose. It's just that whenever she spots Phoenix in the training hall she has this excessive need to cringe and run away.

At least now Leven has some peace and quiet. Here in the private training chambers the game makers promised complete tranquility and so far it didn't disappoint. Leven throws a rubber ball into the air and freezes it.

The ball stays still in mid-air, unable to complete its action, unable to do what it's supposed to do, unable to have gravity pull it back towards the ground and propelling it into the air again. This rubber ball experiences time differently than Leven and anyone who's experiencing life in the same intervals as Leven. This ball is frozen in time.

The scientists were quite exuberant when they discovered the data they'd mined off of Leven. They told her that she has the ability to control time. They called it 'powerful' and yet all Leven can do is make objects freeze. On top of that, only smaller objects, not even bigger ones or even other people. She remembers the game makers explicitly telling the tributes to experiment with their powers as much as they can. It takes time to fully understand the capacity and limitations of the varying abilities, they said. That's the reason why Leven's spent most of her time all alone in a dark echoing room.

If someone were to ask her how she freezes stuff in time, she wouldn't be able to give an exact answer. It's the same feeling as when you move one of your fingers. You do it but you don't exactly know how you do it. It just happens. You think of it and it happens. It's as if the essence has become part of her identity in some shape or form. And although she can feel its components soaring through every corner of her body there's still so much about it she doesn't understand. It's an odd, indescribable feeling.

She throws a couple of smaller balls into the air, freezing them all simultaneously. She picks one of them up, like she's plucking apples from a tree. Leven snaps her fingers to release the rest of the rubber balls. They bounce around for a while as Leven lays flat on the ground, observing the ceiling. The bouncing of the balls fades away slowly.

Leven's thoughts begin to take over. She thinks of Phoenix's bright red hair. She thinks of the smell of her father's clothes. It smelled like home unlike those perfectly groomed training suits she just wants to rip off of herself and burn to ashes. Perhaps pyrokinesis would have been more fitting… but the rotating and clicking of the watches will always be the common denominator in her life.

'Leven!' someone shouts from the outside. Well, there's only one person with such a posh accent.

'What do you want, Pav?' Leven calls out.

'Oh, look at you calling me Pav. Have we already reached this stage in our blossoming relationship?' Pavlov asks cheekily.

'Alright, goodbye.' Leven rolls even further away from the door.

'Gosh, I'm kidding. Open up, I need to ask you something.' Pavlov knocks on the door in an awkward rhythm that's just painful to the ears. 'I know you won't be able to stand this much longer…'

Leven groans loudly, getting to her feet. The more she approaches that damned door, the more she feels like punching that insufferable being behind it.

Finally, she scans her hand on the screen and activates the sliding frame. Pavlov smiles and waves innocently. Suddenly she doesn't feel like hurting him anymore. He might be the only… 'friend' she's got right now.

'And?'

'Well, it's so nice to see you too, Leven, really.'

'Make it quick.' Leven thinks of just hiding behind the door again and continuing her pointless and, quite frankly, sad ball game.

'I want us to ally.'

'Sure.'

'But think about it…' Pavlov stops in his tracks. 'Wait, did you just agree on the first try?' Even Leven is surprised. The words just jumped out of her mouth without hesitation. The rest of her body didn't even wait for her brain to analyze the options first. 'I had so many more points and arguments prepared… kind of disappointing to be honest. Very anticlimactic of you, Lev, how dare you.'

'Don't call me that.'

'Fine, _Leven_.' he waves his hands dramatically. 'But now that we're allies, let me show you something!' before Leven gets to interfere and tell him that she's not feeling it right now, Pavlov jolts into the room, does a cartwheel and jumps up at one of the walls, sticking to it with all fours. He goes invisible and yet when she pays close attention she can hear him crawling up the wall. Finally, he resurfaces above her, his tongue extending and slithering across Leven's cheek. She screams in surprise and grabs the tongue forcefully, pulling Pavlov down with it. As Pavlov falls she can feel panic taking over her body. She waits to hear him crashing down loudly but he doesn't.

When she opens her eyes again, Pavlov is indeed falling. But very slowly. She must have accidentally slowed down time for everyone around her. She tries to find something to place beneath him to weaken the fall but as she's about to run off, she notices Pavlov twisting and turning and landing on his feet like a cat.

'Wow… how'd you move to the door so quickly?' Leven stays silent, still surprised by his impressive recovery. 'Guess what I called my power… chameleokinesis! I'm basically a chameleon but _way_ better looking.'

For the first time in what feels like ages Leven giggles. Pavlov joins her in laughter. Maybe she really has found a friend or someone she can trust for now. Someone she can loosen up around.

* * *

ALLIANCES:

The Careers (but with superpowers!): Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Nastya (D2F), Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F), Barracuda (D4M), Colin (D6M), Pam (D9F)

Little Shadows: Colin (D6M), Pam (D9F)

Constrained Emotions: Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F)

Federation of the Beans: Voxel (D3F), Morse (D7M), Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M), Johar (D9M)

A Master and his Scholar: Alpha (D3M), Colin (D6M)

Healing: Phoenix (D7F), Urid (D11M)

A Wolf Among Sheep: Sev (D11F), Diana (D12F), Dirk (D12M)

Chrono-Chameleokinesis: Leven (D5F), Pavlov (D5M)

Loners: Cecilia (D6F), Fayette (D10F), Aditya (D10M)

* * *

**So, it's been a minute and I have excuses. January was hell. Absolute hell. All my teachers try and squeeze in their exams last minute and I barely had any free time and whenever I did have free time I felt more like binge-watching a show, hehe. And, beginning of February, I was up in the mountains skiing so I didn't have time either. But now, I'm back with a pretty long chapter. For some reason, I'm not too happy with it but it's fine. I wrote it and it's done and it was long overdue. **

**So, almost all of the careers have finally shown off their powers. Which ones were the standouts for you? In this chapter we also had two partnerships forming. One between Dimitris and Zo and another between Pamela and Colin. Only time will tell how these sub-alliances will affect the career pack. Severin has finally managed to convince Diana to let Dirk into the alliance but things never really work out the way that they're supposed to... right? And, finally, Leven has found a friend and ally in Pavlov. I actually had a lot of fun designing Pavlov's power lol.**

**I'd also like to mention that I have completed the aubergine challenge along with Reader Castellan so we can be proud of that xD **

**The blog has also been updated with all the new powers so you can go and check that out too (big shout out to TheMayflyProject!)**

**I'm also going to do a little advertisement for foxfox12 who is looking for some subs for his story 'The Game' which is an unconventional Capitol SYOT. Check it out if you have time :)**

**I'm excited about where things are going with this story. I might be a little slow, I know, but this story is going to be my main priority no matter what so no fancy side projects until I say otherwise. **

**Next up is going to be the last training day before the examination period where we'll have POVs from Raja, Voxel, Mune, and Aditya! After that, we'll hop into some subplot that will affect the main plot later on. And then we have the last cycle before the Games can begin.**

**Goodbye everyone and see you sooner rather than later!**


	11. Training Day III: A Little Happiness

Raja Ali, 18

District One Female

* * *

Picking Barracuda to be the leader of the career pack was the most obvious decision Raja could have made. But Raja didn't simply judge based on appearances. In order to find out which of the careers was the most suitable leader, she invited each of them to a game. A game of chess. It was absurd how every single one of them played completely differently. They all had different strategies, some not even having one at all.

Many people would say that her approach is rather unconventional and she'd be the first to tell you otherwise. Chess is about understanding your situation, thinking ahead, making the best decision for your whole team, making sacrifices only when necessary. A good, proper leader needs to be able to accomplish these tasks

She began with Goud. She had played against him before but there was always room for growth. Sadly, in his case, there wasn't. He acted selfishly, moved all his pieces for the sole purpose of protecting his most prized piece. If Goud wasn't even willing to learn from their first match although having been devastated after the loss he surely won't be flexible when it comes to hearing the others out.

Then there was Dimitris. Dimitris who so heavily tried to pretend as if he knew what he was doing. By far, he was the easiest to beat. There was no real strategy that went into any of his moves. Sometimes he'd rest his chin on the base of his thumb to make it seem like he was entranced in his thoughts and it could have passed as believable had he not almost every time lost another one of his pieces right after. Not one time did Dimitris stop the game and admit that he doesn't actually know how to play. He was putting up a facade, he was being stubborn. Some people would call it perseverance but Raja calls it foolishness.

Zo was an interesting case. She seemed to be observing Raja. She cowered at first but the more pieces moved across the board the more Raja started understanding her tactic. When Raja captured the girl's pawn with a knight, Zo would capture one of Raja's pawns using her bishop. When Raja retreated to play a more defensive game so did Zo. She mimicked her every move. A leader is no leader if they have to rely on other people's strategies.

Finally, there was Barracuda. By no means did Barracuda play an excellent game. By far. In fact, he'd never be able to join her chess club in One. He wouldn't make it past the try-outs. However, out of everyone she played against he was the most… average. That would be the word she'd use to describe the District Four boy. Terribly average. He made a few good moves and a few bad ones. He adapted his strategy when things didn't go according to his plan, sometimes he even managed to figure out part of the plan that Raja was crafting in her head. Of course, she had about five different back-up plans but he showed adaptability, perseverance, willingness to learn, and a hint of strategic prowess. He was, by all means, fine.

'Do you now understand why I pushed for everyone to pick him?' Raja places her hands together, head held high. Nastya ties her pure blonde hair into a ponytail. She cocks her head from side to side, cracking her bones causing Raja to cringe a little.

'No, I understand but,' Nastya begins. Her face is so delicate. She looks like she belongs in a majestic castle that towers above all the rest of the civilians with her in the center, looking down on all of them. And yet when Raja stares into her eyes all she can see is an icy reflection. There's no real life in them. There's only one question that rages to reveal itself and Raja wants to find out sooner rather than later. 'You never played against me…' a slight smile appears on her porcelain face.

'I know.' Raja puts one of her legs over the other. 'But I also know that you are far superior than the rest of those baboons. I don't need chess to prove that to me. I've seen it in your analytical eyes, I've seen it in your carefully picked out words, I've seen it in the vulnerability you're trying to hide from everyone else.'

Nastya flinches a little, a hint of innocent rosiness taking over her cheeks. 'And, If I may ask, why was I not your choice?'

Raja smiles a little cockily. 'Because I want you all to myself, that's why.' Nastya still has a puzzled expression on her face which fades away quickly when the pieces begin to click in her mind.

'I see. So you're proposing an alliance of some sort between the two of us.'

'That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Barracuda is a decoy. He's a dog. His ego needs to be fed from time to time and I'll gladly extend my palm for him to eat from.'

Nastya takes a seat next to Raja on the bench. 'But you'll be the one pulling the strings.'

Raja shakes her head. 'No. _We_ will be the ones pulling the strings.' Raja knew from the beginning when she watched the reapings in the train next to Goud that she wanted to have Nastya as her number one. And as long as it seems like she and Barracuda are a tight pair and no one suspects that she's got another accomplice in the mix then everything's fine.

'Then I have a question to ask you.' Nastya's expression turns serious. 'What do you think of the outlier situation?' Of course, Raja has noticed the little duo of outliers that managed to sneak its way into the pack. They are an error in her data, something that shouldn't be there. A pest. But she can't panic. Perhaps the old her would have left scratch marks on her arms from all the stress but Raja's learned to stay calm when things don't go her way. Physically at least. Deep down, of course, she's panicking because it would be foolish to get too comfortable with Colin and Pamela dangling their shadowy daggers above her.

'We have to remain calm about it.'

'They shouldn't be in the pack. They're intruders.' Nastya coils her fists in frustration.

'I know, I know. And to make it worse look at them now.' Raja's head twitches to her right. Nastya turns her head very carefully so as not to attract too much attention. Pamela and Colin are standing together near the brawling ring, laughing. But it's not the two of them that are worrying Raja. It's the third member of their little rendez-vous.

'What the hell… why is Goud there with them?' Nastya crosses her arms.

'Isn't it obvious, He's still hurt that I undermined him. Men are always so sensitive when it comes to their pride. He's assembling his troops. He was the one who initiated Pamela into the pack, remember?'

'Shouldn't we be more worried, perhaps?'

'We have each other. I have Barracuda in my back pocket. Zo will definitely go with us girls and Dimitris will follow his little crush wherever she goes. When and if it comes down to it we will have the numbers. Goud and his little group of outliers have nothing on us.'

The truth is, Raja's a lot more worried than she's letting on but Nastya doesn't need to know that. If it were true and she is, in fact, sure that she has Barracuda wrapped completely around her finger then everything would be according to plan but more she begins to notice little cracks in their pack. Cracks that might already have been there from the beginning but are starting to become bigger. Whenever she sees Pamela and Barracuda talking one-on-one, she putting her crooked hands on his shoulder playfully her heart freezes for a few seconds.

It's only a matter of time until everything implodes.

* * *

Voxel Phong, 13

District Three Female

* * *

This was so exciting.

When Voxel peeks up, she notices all the tributes working their butts off at the various stations. Goud teaches Pamela how to use a bow and arrow, Cecilia struggles to free her axe from a target she had previously attacked, Alpha seems to be lecturing Colin about forrest cuisine, and Aditya disappears into one of the private training chambers. And these are just a few of the people Voxel took note of.

Voxel smiles to herself, squeezing one of the many books that swarm her little desk against her chest. It's a strange feeling when you're happy in a situation where you're not supposed to be. She still remembers vividly how her parents drowned in their own tears, hugging and kissing her goodbye before the peacekeepers jolted in. Back then, Voxel was still in shock. She thought it was the end of everything, that she'd never get to live long enough to watch her legs develop into a fairly normal functioning pair.

But the moment she got into the train, expecting to find a cold and gloomy interior, she was greeted by divine magic. A word Voxel would usually never dare to use, especially in front of her parents, but that was the way it felt. The food was strange yet had so many interesting layers to it, the pillows she slept one had superb cushioning, nothing like back home, and everyone treated her with delicate hands and comforting warmth. She really didn't expect all these Capitolites to be so kind. Often times she'd hear her parents call them words like 'little cockalorums' or 'snollygosters'. She didn't know what the words meant but they sounded funny so she wrote them down for her to remember when she's a tad bit older.

On the first day of training they offered her a highly functioning wheelchair with a seat warmer and everything which got Voxel very excited. They escorted her to the laboratory and asked if she needed anything. For some reason when Voxel asked for a cup of hot chocolate they looked perplexed but fulfilled her request nonetheless. The scientists waited patiently for Voxel to finish sipping her warm drink. Voxel drove out of the room with an ability she was extremely happy with. Once they told her it involved materialization and voxelization she didn't need to know more. That was all she wanted to hear from them.

It didn't take long for Voxel to realize that her abilities had limitations. When she tried to summon a pair of headphones it worked. It worked because she knew what they were made of from the time she deconstructed a pair in her parent's office for fun. They were a replica of the ones she owned back in Three so Voxel assumed that her power was also heavily linked to her memory and experience. To test that hypothesis she attempted to create something she was rather unfamiliar with. A crossbow came to mine. She read about them in medieval literature but she'd never actually held one in her hands before. Logically, she failed to materialize the weapon into existence because she lacked knowledge regarding its function.

Voxel was only able to create things so long she understood the logic behind her creations.

So, now, after having politely asked the staff to supply her with a wide arrange of books regarding machinery and weaponry, she's swimming in knowledge. They even led her to a small study chamber away from the noise of the other tribute's so that she could focus a little better. But the little fella who followed her all the way here thinking she didn't notice them was quite the curious one. Perhaps that's why she's so fond of them.

'Morse.' the moment she calls their name, they scatter around the room, causing things to stumble and tumble. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,' she laughs, putting one of her books down. 'Would you like to watch me work? You can come a bit closer if you want.' Morse stays frozen for a few seconds but gives in to temptation, approaching Voxel's desk warily.

They were quite shy. They seemed even more sheltered than Voxel herself which made her even more determined to get to know them.

They don't seem like they'll be the one to make the first step so Voxel shall try and initiate the conversation. Her mom always told her that she was terribly at social cues so Voxel has made it a definite goal of hers to work on that. 'Let me tell you what I'm doing, Morse. It's pretty cool actually.'

Voxel opens one of the books on weaponry and pages through it until reaching her designated goal. She holds the book up for Morse to get a better look. It's an image of a crossbow with little annotations attached to the various structural features of the weapon.

'I'm trying to understand how a crossbow is made so that I can replicate one myself. It's actually very interesting.' Voxel points at a circular structure at the far front of the crossbow. 'This is the stirrup. Stirrups are used to stabilize the bow while you pull the string back.' Voxel's finger drifts to the back. 'This here is the arrow retention spring. When you pull the trigger at the bottom the spring will release the arrow. So then when I-'

Voxel notices Morse's face filling up with boredom. Internally she starts to panic a little. 'O-okay and now since I know how a crossbow is essentially constructed I also know the logic behind it, meaning that I can create one on my own. Watch!' Voxel brings her crafty little hands together and shuts her eyes to rebuild the model in her head. Little pixels begin to form in the palm of her hands until she feels the formation of several solid particles. After a few seconds, Voxel wields a fully functioning crossbow.

But Morse still doesn't look too impressed. In fact, it seems like they're upset, more than anything else. 'Morse, I know what's missing!' Voxel lets a few more pixels cover the weapon in a smooth pink glaze. A little smile appears on Morse's face. 'It's a lot nicer that way, isn't it?' Voxel laughs. 'Oh! You know what else we can add?'

'What?' Morse finally speaks up with genuine excitement in their tone.

'I'll show you.' In an instant a glittery unicorn head, attached to a spring bounces left and right around the area of the scope. Morse covers their mouth with both of their hands.

'Can I hold it?'

'Of course buddy.' She hands them the weapon. 'But take care.' Although they were the same age for some reason Voxel felt like she needed to watch over them like an overly protective mother. Well, then again Voxel's always been different from other girls her age. Some might say more responsible and studious.

It made her feel warm inside, watching Morse with such happiness. Whenever she looks at them she just sees sadness. Sadness that she doesn't quite understand. Sadness that resonates inside Morse's head with pure tranquility. Voxel is determined to do whatever she can to make them happier. Even if it's just a little bit.

'We're going to get through this together.' Voxel's thoughts take over her mouth. That has happened more times than she can keep count of.

'I hope we will. I… I don't want to die… not like my sister.' And before Voxel had the opportunity to ask them what they meant with that, Morse clings to her awkwardly like a baby chimpanzee. She puts her arms around them and the two stay silent for a while.

'It's going to be alright, Morse. I promise.'

* * *

Aditya Fields, 18

District Ten Male

* * *

Making things explode got boring after a while. Aditya was excited at first when the scientists bestowed the gift of shameless destruction upon him. He didn't even need to ponder around and speculate as to why this ability was fitting for him. All Aditya needed to do was to point at something and watch it blow up into a thousand smithereens just the way he used to destroy the lives of hopeful virgins back in Ten.

'Shit…' Aditya rests his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his face and shattering into smaller droplets on the ground beneath him. The smell of smoke and dust particles fills the air of the private training chamber. However, as soon as one of those dummies reinstalls itself Aditya's blood gets pumping again.

'Fuck off!' he shouts grabbing the air that separates him from his target forcefully. The inanimate figure facing him detonates in an instant sending a strong gust of air in Aditya's way. Aditya falls to the ground grabbing the arm with which he initiated the explosion and rolls on the floor in pain. Of course his ability had to have a drawback. Once he reaches his third consecutive explosion the blood soaring through his blood vessels begins to feel like actual acid.

Aditya rests his face against the cool metallic floor. His body is on fire. At least it feels that way. It's not his fault every time those dummies reappear all he can see his Pavlov's disgustingly beautiful face plastered against their blank, motionless heads.

Every time Aditya recalls what happened a few days ago when he woke up in a stranger's bed, unable to recollect any of his memories, he cringes. It was embarrassing. It was shameful. He felt powerless. How dare that boy take away his power. No one takes away Aditya Fields' power. Ever.

'Alright, calm down.' Aditya gives himself a small pep talk, getting to his feet again.

Right now he shouldn't be lingering on the past. He shouldn't dwell on what he can't change. He has to think ahead and prepare himself for the games. He has to figure out how he's going to track down Pavlov in the midst of all the chaos and put a knife in his back - no - shove a sword into that perfect, flat stomach of his and watch the life in his eyes dry out very, very slowly.

Or perhaps he could tie him up against a tree and let the tree explode, sending his innards flying. But that wouldn't be as satisfying as a slow death.

Obviously it wouldn't make him popular among the sponsors but as long as he pretends to be the rich and charming farm boy from Ten he'll conquer their hearts for the first couple of days and receive enough supplies to get him through the remainder of his stay in the arena after he brutally murders Pavlov.

Aditya wipes the sweat away from his face with the back of his hand. He scans his hand on the sensor next to the sliding door. When he steps out he can finally breathe without taking in all the dust from the explosions. His eyes immediately fall on Pavlov. Out of all the twenty-two other tributes here why is Pavlov always the first one he notices in every goddamn room? The only difference is that Pavlov usually spent his time alone but now he's joined by another girl, his District partner if Aditya remembers correctly. The two of them seem to be laughing.

And just like that, another idea pops into Aditya's devious head. Why take several days to hunt him down in the arena if he can just find an easy way of staying in close proximity to him at all times.

'Aditya, what a pleasure!' Pavlov chants as Aditya makes his way towards his suspecting prey. The girl next to him immediately drops her joyous expression, shutting down her emotions like a steel trap.

'The pleasure's all mine. I was wondering if I could borrow you for a second.' Pavlov stares up at him silently. Oh, how he wishes to simply shove Pavlov's face against a wall and bash it over and over again until he's nothing but a bloody mess.

'I mean, you can tell me now. Leven and I are working on a rather tedious task.' Aditya doesn't comprehend what kind of task he's talking about since there's not really anything the two of them could be doing right now but stand against a wall and converse in random banter. But he doesn't bother asking.

'Alright, I was wondering if I could join your alliance?' The boy from Five glances down at Leven who seems to have retreated even further behind Pavlov's back. She doesn't say a word but her eyes speak louder than anything else.

'We'll have to get back to you,' Pavlov says, his eyes still lingering on the untrusting girl. 'But we'll definitely take the proposal into consideration.' he smiles.

It would be so easy to just grab a blade from one of the racks and slit his throat open right now but Aditya needs to contain himself. Patience is key. He'll also have to be patient in the arena and wait a few days before making his move. It's all about waiting for the right moment.

'Understood. I'll see the two of you around.' Aditya raises his hand and winks before strutting away as smoothly as he possibly can. So there's a little bit of a wrench in the plan. That wrench being Leven.

Not only will Aditya have to plan Pavlov's death but he'll also need to get Leven out of the way first. But it'll be worth it when all hell breaks loose.

* * *

Mune Silk, 16

District Eight Male

* * *

_Of course he was invited to Brycen's party. It would be bad on his part if he didn't invite the only mute kid in school. It would have absolutely shattered the perfect image of himself he's been trying to display for years now. So, Mune will take the sincerity of the invitation with a grain of salt. _

_Being a mute boy does come with its perks. There are always people around to help him when he's in need because no one dares to look the other way, he always gets invited to parties even though he might not be one of the most popular kids at his school, and the teachers tend to go easy on him and bump his grades up a bit. Sadly, however, all of these actions usually come from a place of pity. _

_All of these perks are tightly bound with the human need to feel good about oneself. It's like giving money to a homeless person which Mune does every chance he gets. Many people do good deeds not because it comes from the graciousness of their heart but because they want to feel like they've made an impact on someone's life or in general to prove to themselves that they are inherently a good person. And Mune is completely aware of his hypocrisy. The main reason why he'll bring food to the homeless is so that he can understand the way others feel when they help him. And, yes, it's an utmost selfish reason. But he has to admit that it's a pretty good feeling. _

'_Ey, Mune! Sick party, right?' Lamarque, one of the jocks, pats him on the back. Mune scrambles to find his phone to type a message. When he finally pulls the device out of his pocket Lamarque is nowhere to be seen. Of course… _

_There's a slight high pitched ringing in his ear from the volume of the music. Everyone smells like alcohol but Mune doesn't dare get drunk. No one will be able to get him back home if he's wasted because of the impenetrable speech barrier which is only worsened when he isn't in the right state of mind. Mune doesn't even know why he's here at this party. Perhaps it's just to feel like he's a part of something bigger. It's become a noticeable pattern, even for him. He'll always go to these big events, to these crazy festivals, in the hopes of someone genuinely wanting to spend time with him. And every single time he goes home, feeling worse than he did before. _

_So many people smile at him. They all wave at him with blissful eyes. And he smiles back the way he always does because that's the only way for him to respond without them losing interest. _

_Mune takes a seat on the front porch of the house and leans on the side against the railing. The darksome sky, decorated with bright little ornaments is especially pleasant to look at tonight. Mune shuts his eyes and forgets himself for a minute._

_It's time to enter Neverland._

* * *

'Hilda, why did you have to invite so many people into our alliance?' Mune writes on a piece of paper. He was extremely mad at his District partner. When he finally found another person, a beautiful girl at that, who actually wanted to listen to his stories and spend time with him, he thought he had her all to himself. Mune didn't want other people to join their alliance. He just wanted to be alone with Hilda and leave the rest of the world behind.

'Because it's fun!' She laughs the way she always does. 'The more, the merrier!' Hilda raises her arms in exuberance. Sometimes Mune gets the feeling that she doesn't understand him. She listens to him but she doesn't always understand what he means.

_'But I only want to spend time with you.' _

_'I don't want other people taking you away from me.' _

_'Please like me.' _

That's what he wanted to say to her then and there. He'd never do it though. It would immediately ruin their friendship and push them away even further. 'Yeah... I guess you're right.' he signs forgetting that Hilda won't understand what he's trying to tell her. He realizes that by her puzzled expression and gives her a friendly thumbs up.

The two of them stand in silence for an eternity. Mune, about to excuse himself, grabs the piece of paper but lets it drop when Hilda wraps her arms around him and squeezes her chest against his. A fuzzy feeling warms his body from the inside, the blood rushing to his face. 'Don't worry, Mune. I want to hear all your stories,' she whispers gently before letting go.

Mune tries to hide his tomato expression by looking in the other direction. Only then he notices the tall and slender woman walking his way. She's dressed in some sort of lab coat. The click-clack of her heels attracts the attention of some other tributes like Colin and Raja.

'Hello, Mune,' she says. 'My name is Elissa Hagarty. I have been informed that you suffer from muteness.'

Mune nods hesitantly

'Well, you see, we try to accommodate every tribute here as best as possible and we want to make it an even playing field for all of you as much as we can.' One of the peacekeepers hands Elissa a small black box. She uncovers the lid with her skeleton fingers, revealing a small sphere cut in half. The flat surface of the sphere is covered with little suction-like structures.

'Do you mind if I install it on you quickly?'

Mune takes one step closer, looking back at Hilda who seems to be more excited than all the people in this room combined. Elissa brings the device to the center of Mune's chest and approaches the surface of his skin very carefully. When the device reaches a close proximity to his training suit the suction cups begin to activate attaching themselves to his body. Mune flinches a little but calms down when he feels Hilda's hand resting on his shoulder.

'You're doing fantastic, Mune. Thank you for trusting me.' Elissa offers him a subtle smile. 'Now comes the fun part. I want you to sign something but make sure your hands are facing the front of the device.' Elissa gets down on her knees.

Mune follows her instructions and signs something.

'I'm so confused. What's happening right now?' the device speaks out from Mune's chest in a monotone voice. Mune brings his hands to his mouth in shock. His eyes well up with ponds of tears. He can't control the waves of joy and excitement overwhelming him so carelessly. Mune would have never thought that he could find so much happiness mere days before his likely death.

'This is so cool, Mune! Now you can really talk to me!' Hilda squeals, running her hands frantically through his hair.

'Thank you, Miss Hagarty,' Mune says. The woman nods with satisfaction and click-clacks away in unison with her two peacekeepers.

'Say something else.' Hilda grabs his shoulders, her eyes wide open.

'I'm glad to have you in my life,' the machine says. And before Mune can sign something else Hilda gives him another hug. This time they stay that way for longer.

There it is. That warm, fuzzy feeling again.

* * *

_ALLIANCES:_

_The Careers (but with superpowers!): Raja (D1F), Goud (D1M), Nastya (D2F), Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F), Barracuda (D4M), Colin (D6M), Pamela (D9F)_

_Little Shadows: Colin (D6M), Pamela (D9F) _

_The Deadly Sisterhood: Raja (D1F), Nastya (D2F)_

_Constrained Emotions: Dimitris (D2M), Zo (D4F)_

_Federation of the Beans: Voxel (D3F), Morse (D7M), Hilda (D8F), Mune (D8M), Johar (D9M)_

_A Master and his Scholar: Alpha (D3M), Colin (D6M)_

_Healing: Phoenix (D7F), Urid (D11M)_

_A Wolf Among Sheep: Sev (D12F), Diana (D12F), Dirk (D12M)_

_Chrono-Chameleokinesis: Leven (D5F), Pavlov (D5M)_

_Loners: Cecilia (D6F), Fayette (D10F), Aditya (D10M)_

* * *

**Alright, it's no surprise that I'm a sucker for alliances, especially sub-alliances. I just find the social aspect of the game very underrated and I love exploring intricate relationships between characters. So, yeah! We're done with the last training day and second cycle. Only two more cycles and we will get to the Games. Usually, at this stage, we'd still have the interviews and the private sessions and maybe a night before and then the games start but I'm doing things a little bit differently. I'm splitting the private sessions into three different chapters which will be the third cycle known as the examination period. The reason I'm doing this is so that we can get to see a little bit more of the non-POV tributes because I do really love them. It'll be more work for me but I think it'd going to be worth it when everything begins to unfold in the arena. **

**I'm taking my time with this Partial but I hope that everyone who is following is having just as much fun as I am with this. The next chapter will be a subplot chapter. It'll be significantly shorter than my usual chapters. And after that, we will start with the examinations :) **

**I'll see you next time! **


	12. Interlude: The Ones We Trust

Bellmore Sergeyevich, 37

Capitol Activist, Fashion Designer

* * *

It was hard enough for Bellmore to get her model to stand still without the quarreling happening in the background that urged her to stick a pin into the girl she was fitting and join in on the conversation, taking place just a few feet away from her.

'Sorry, dear, but could you try to stand as still as possible so that I don't prick your pretty skin by accident?' Bell smiles venomously at Merope.

'It isn't my problem you're taking so long, is it?' Merope's lips shrivel a little as she stares Bellmore up and down in a rather condescending manner. Bell has grown to despise the models of the modern age. She recalls how during her youth, when she was at the peak of success, the young models would cower at the sight of her or at the sight of any titan in the fashion world for that matter. Back then, making a name for yourself as a designer was a big thing. You were considered to be at the top of the food chain. But as time passed more and more cover shoot girls with their big, bubbly eyes and their bony arms attracted the attention of the press, while the actual talent behind the impeccably crafted dresses was abandoned in a dusty, cobweb-covered corner

Bellmore doesn't bother responding; it's no use anyway. As Bellmore continues to tighten Merope's dress around the waist, taking slight pleasure whenever she'd hear the model wince, she overhears a word that immediately catches her attention.

_The Essence. _

Bell tries to tune into the conversation but between the sowing machines in the background and the other chatter going on around her, it's nearly impossible to make out what is being said over there.

'I'll be right back.' Bell removes her hands from Merope's glittery body.

'What the hell are you doing?' Once again Bellmore pretends not to have heard the girl, instead, joining in on the little talk that caught her attention.

'Bell! What a delight!' Tamith shouts out. 'We were just talking about this year's Games.'

'Oh, were you?' Bell enjoys letting other people guide her into the discussion. She doesn't want to seem too brash so she'll just let the two of them give her the information she needs.

'Yeah, Tamith over here is in love with the quell twist no matter how much I try to convince them that it simply isn't a good idea.' Jurius rolls his eyes, patting Tamith on the back.

'Don't be like that, Jurius. Just because some of us like to have fun doesn't mean you have to cover all of us in your grey, rainy cloud.' Tamith moves away from Jurius, turning to Bell and raising their eyebrows like they'd forgotten she was there in the first place. 'What do you think?'

'I think it's a horrible idea.' Well, that might have come out a little more blunt than she intended it to.

'Thank you!' Jurius calls.

'Wow, Bell, I didn't think you were going to be like one of them…' That sentence lit a fire under Bellmore's ass. She was about to unleash the phoenix on them.

'What exactly do you mean 'like one of them'? You mean like the only rational people in this insane fucking country?' Her face goes red.

'Oh, please. Since when are any of us rational here? Don't lie to me. Actually, don't lie to yourself, pretending like you're above us all.'

'It's not about being above anyone here, Tamith, but giving these children, who have been taught to hate us ever since they tumbled out of their mother's womb, lethal abilities is basically sealing our own demise.' Bellmore considers retreating back to her model. Knowing Tamith they won't go down so easily, however, before he gets the chance to fight back, another voice chimes in.

'Guys, I'm pretty sure the government has the situation under control. I mean, they're not going to put us in danger so I don't see the harm in exploring new innovations,' Valouria squeezes herself in between Jurius and Bell, dragging her silky, beige scarf behind her. The thick and repulsive smell of orchids takes over the space.

Jurius scoffs. 'And what comes afterward? Let's say everything works out just fine, do you really think the government is just going to drop a powerful weapon like the essence as if it ceased to exist in the first place?' Valouria raises her finger, ready to interject but the words fail to escape her mouth. 'Yeah I didn't think so,' Jurius says confidently.

'Alright, let's stop this!' Surprisingly enough Tamith is the one to halt the conflict. Bellmore would have never guessed. 'Personally, I'm just excited for a bombastic Quell and I bet all of you are as well. So let's worry about the logistics and the details later. What do you guys say?' Tamith scans his audience for approval. Jurius and Valouria make eye contact and shrug.

'You know what? You're right. This is going to be a fun year,' Jurius gives in. Oh how Capitol-like, living in pure, blissful ignorance and setting aside all worries to be 'looked at later.'

But Bellmore isn't like them. She's already crafted a plan together with none other than Anargi Fontana herself and if things go as planned there won't be a need to worry about things 'when the time comes' since this year's Games won't even be taking place...

* * *

Anargi Fontana, 31

Council Member

* * *

Her hands are trembling and she can't get them to stop. She tries to clench her fists but the tension just causes her limbs to shake even more frantically. This is so unlike her. The blood pulsating through her arteries, the adrenaline spreading through every fiber of her body, the empty void that grows and grows in the core of her abdomen; it's all becoming a little too unbearable.

'Mrs. Fontana, we're ready.' Anargi snaps out of her trans, turning her attention towards the head peacekeeper, wearing a pitch-black armor suit with a rouge cape-like structure attached to his back, covering his right shoulder.

Anargi sucks in as much air as she can and exhales it with one extensive puff. 'Let's head on in.' The head peacekeeper signs for his fellow men and women to break open the glass gate. Aside from the Head Gamemaker himself and the mentors, only avoxes and people involved in the administrative business of the Hunger Games are allowed access into the training halls. But Anargi doesn't have time to be stealthy.

As the thick glass shatters, sprawling elegantly across the smooth floor of the training center, all eyes are on her. And yet none of the tributes seem to be reacting; none of them try to make a run for it, not even the girl from Five who had previously attempted to escape. It just makes it so much harder for Anargi to commit to the plan.

She'll have to pull herself together and make the necessary decisions to ensure the wellbeing of her country otherwise she'll never be able to take her father's place as President of Panem. 'Get them,' she says.

On command, the peacekeepers swarm out. Only then does the first tribute react. The girl from Twelve surrounds herself in a ring of fire, her eyes glowing like embers. This is what her sick brother did to them. He's turned them into monsters.

One by one the peacekeepers shackle the tributes, sending shock waves soring through their bodies and bringing them to their knees in screams of relentless agony. Some try to run but it's no use; the peacekeepers will always be faster. Everyone has been asked to evacuate so that they can confine the tributes in one big space.

The only tribute remaining, the girl from Twelve, spews fire from her hands at one of the troopers, causing his suit to melt and stick to his burned flesh. The peacekeeper squeals in his own bloody mess but there's nothing any of them can do about it now. The girl takes a few steps back, her jaw wide open in shock.

'Now!' the head peacekeeper shouts. One of his men puts the collar around her neck and presses the electrocution button, filling the air with another series of painful screams.

Once all the children are put into one row, facing Anargi, she begins to speak. 'What is about to happen has nothing to do with any of you.' She tries to keep her voice as solid as steel. 'None of you are at fault here, I promise you.' her voice starts to shake a bit but she bites the inside of her lip, pushing the emotions down under. 'I… we have come to the conclusion that this year's Games will not be taking place.'

The tributes look at each other in surprise. Anargi catches a few smiles coming from the younger ones who seem excited over the news. 'So does this mean we get to go a home?!' the boy from Nine asks hopefully, unable to hide his glee.

Anargi shuts her eyes. The tears mustn't begin to flow. She shakes her head slowly. 'As always we will be faithful to the system. Twenty-three of you will die as a result of your rebellion.' Silence befalls the training center. Anargi doesn't dare to look at the younger children whose hope has just been robbed mercilessly.

'And in order to decide who gets to live, we have installed a random name generator. The name left on the screen after the shuffling will be the lucky tribute whose life is spared. Again, I am sorry that this is the way things are but for the common good of our society, we politely ask you to accept this decision with gracefulness and dignity. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten because-'

'Are you seriously trying to make us feel better right now?' the girl from Nine interrupts.

'Watch it, brat,' the peacekeeper behind her says firmly.

'This is some real bullshit!' one of the careers raises his voice. 'This isn't what I fucking signed up for!' he gets to his feet but with a simple press of a button a synchrony of screeches is conducted.

'Please, do not resist. It just makes it harder.' Anargi buttons up her rosy coat, walking over to the head peacekeeper who hands her a tablet. 'Your deaths will be quick and painless, I promise.' Anargi brushes her hair to the side, still avoiding eye contact with any of the children.

'I will now activate the name generator…' Anargi scans her index finger on the screen, activating the device. Once the name shuffling begins she turns the tablet towards the tributes and waits nervously. She can feel her hands start to shake again. Everyone always told her she's too emotional, including her father. But Himeko thought the opposite. Himeko always told Anargi that she can be far too cold. So which one is it?

The shifting names on the screen begin to slow down until only one name remains…

_Alpha Mail_

The boy from Three gets up from his knees, covering his mouth with both of his hands. 'I made it… I-I won!' he laughs, completely disregarding the other children who are about to face death. The rest of them stay silent. Anargi catches a bit of sniffing and swallowing here and there but no one dares to speak. Well, except for Alpha.

'I won the Hunger Games!'

'Would you shut up already?!'

The boy freezes, arms still raised, but his eyebrows sink. Anargi is taken aback by her sudden outburst. 'Get him out of the room,' she commands.

'And for the rest of you I'm sorry but this is where-'

'What the hell is going on here?!' Anargi looks back at the shattered glass gate. Her brother, together with their father, tiptoe around the glass shards. Cynthio seems oddly calm but by the looks of it he'll just hide behind their father's wrath and watch everything unfold the way he always likes to do. Pathetic.

'Father, please do not get involved.'

'What do you mean I shouldn't get involved? Are you completely out of your mind?'

'I-'

'Escort her away from here!' And just like that all of Anargi's peacekeepers turn on her, abandoning their initial plan.

'I'm so sorry about all of this.' she catches Cynthio tell the tributes before they whisk her away from the training center.

* * *

Professor Myriad Dane, 58

Head of the Panemian Scientific Institute

* * *

**14:33 pm**

'You should have seen the look on her face, Myriad! It was priceless!' Cynthio chants away in his fitted lab coat. Apparently Anargi Fontana's status as council member had just been taken away from her. Word barely got around and yet everyone's talking about it, even the news.

'I bet it was,' Myriad agrees. The fact is, he doesn't really care. Sure, the quarreling of the Fontana siblings is entertaining from time to time. It's not like the whole country isn't following their unspoken competition and taking sides. But, in the end, Myriad needs to make sure that his co-worker is in it for the right reasons.

'But let us focus on what's important, Myriad, we shouldn't get off track.' Cynthio tells him as if he'd been the one singing his song of victory. 'Update me on the new subjects.'

'Of course.' Myriad leads Cynthio into one of the observatories, the latter making himself comfortable on the lounge chair, crossing his legs.

'Test subject B-725, correct?' Cynthio asks. 'She's the one with the dissociative identity disorder who murdered a bunch of people.' Cynthio takes a sip from his lukewarm coffee.

'Exactly, subject B-725, also known as Lystra Hollows was convicted of mass murder at the Palmavera Mall after butchering thirty-two individuals with a machete.' Myriad types away at his computer, checking for any new uploaded data. 'And it seems like not much has changed…'

'What do you mean?' Cynthio sets down his coffee, leaning against Myriad's desk.

'Her ability still involves some sort of telekinesis but we're still unsure of how it works. The subject doesn't fully have control of her powers yet so-'

'Fill her up with more essence,' Cynthio says.

'But… are you sure. If something goes wrong and the president finds out that we've gone behind his back then-'

'Listen, Myriad, I have something to prove. We need to master the essence. We need to make it more efficient. I didn't come here to play games. If things end up working out, we can use the essence not only for Quarter Quells but for regular Games as well. Just think about how many more people will start to invest in the Games… and think about the fame and glory.' Cynthio gives Myriad a wink.

'I suppose you're right…'

**23:56 pm**

Myriad slides his special access key across the scanner, opening the gate that leads to the underground floor. Only he has access to this area and he likes to consider it his special haven where he can escape whenever things are getting a little too much for him.

But today he's meeting someone very special.

'Inez, glad you made it!' The council member gets up from the chair and shakes Myriad's hand. 'And I see you've brought them just as we agreed.' Behind Inez stand twenty men and women, waiting patiently to be told what to do.

'Of course, twenty prisoners, just as you asked.' Myriad gives her a certain look and Inez understands immediately. 'And don't worry, they're all sane and eager to take part, am I right?' she looks back at her little troop.

'Yes, ma'am,' they all say together rather ghoulishly.

'You know, Myriad, I always took you for a weakling, hiding behind Cynthio's shadow but boy was I wrong.' Inez laughs. 'You've got so much more packed into that aged body of yours.' Myriad considers pointing out that he is in fact younger than her but decides to drop it since pointless bickering won't get them anywhere.

'You see the thing is, and I think we can both agree, Cynthio isn't thinking big enough.' Inez nods. 'He's so focused on his pride and sucking up to his father that he doesn't even understand the limitlessness of my invention.' Myriad corrects his tie.

'You uttering these words just brings me so much joy,' Inez squeals. 'Forget the Hunger Games… this is big... really big.'

'Of course it is.' Myriad turns his attention towards the prisoners behind the councilwoman who continue to stand there like statues, not attempting to make a run for it and seek freedom. 'And with these young people behind you, we will take over.'

'That's why I brought them. They know about the plan. They know about everything and they want to be a part of this. I promised them power and glory and wealth and that's what they'll get.' Inez claps her hands together.

'Then what are we waiting for? Let us begin right now,' Myriad says.

* * *

**Yay! Subplot time! **

**First of all, I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. I know there are a lot of ways in which we can view the current situation in a negative light but let's make the most of our time at home! Let's have fun and do the things we never really got to or usually don't have time for. Well, that's what I'm doing anyway lol.**

**But I hope you enjoyed this little subplot chapter. Do you think Anargi's approach was correct? Did you expect Myriad and Inez to come together? And what might they be planning?**

**Don't worry, next chapter we will start with the examination period which I am very excited about. It will be split into three parts: Combat Trials, Survival Trials, and Essence Trials. Each tribute will be put to the test to see if they've learned anything from their stay in the Capitol. Who will prevail and who will crumble under the pressure? Find out next time... **

**See ya soon! **


	13. Combat Trials: We Choose to Fight

Mune Silk, 16

District Eight Male

* * *

Surprisingly enough, Pamela was holding her own against the District Four girl. Not to say that she was winning or anything but as far as Mune can tell, the career girl isn't having the upper hand the way he would have expected.

Zo jabs at the girl with her spear from afar, keeping a considerable distance between herself and the opponent, and yet Pamela isn't showing any signs of backing down, instead gracefully deflecting the attacks with her two daggers as if she'd been using them all her life. No wonder the careers went out of their way to integrate her into their ever-growing alliance.

The girl from Four manages to slice Pam's thigh, causing Pamela's health bar to decrease on the screen. It is through this method - this careful, methodical wounding of her opponent while maintaining that same safety distance - that Zo has been able to keep her lifeline in this battle. Although Mune feels terribly threatened by the skills that the girl is displaying, there's also a bit of admiration in his gaze.

Mune turns away to take a seat and rest his legs. The sound of metal dropping against the metallic floor causes him to flinch a little and immediately turn his attention back to the fight. How could he have missed that? With one swipe, Pam's been unarmed, her weapons sprawled across the ground. The two girls stay as still as ever but Zo doesn't waste any time and charges at her opponent. In a last-ditch attempt, Pamela slides across the ring, trying to reach her daggers but Zo spears the helpless girl through the neck, draining Pamela's health bar completely.

The holographic images of the two girls disappear as both of them wake up from their unconscious state, removing their head-pieces and taking in their surroundings with a hazy look in their eyes.

The rules of the combat trials were simple and pretty straight forward. Two tributes are paired up at random and will be assessed on how they hold their own in a battle. The goal of the trial isn't to win although as the instructor, Mrs. Nakamura explained to them it will likely boost your combat score up a bit.

Mune turns to the training stations and spots his alliance working together. He sees Morse and Johar sharing a laugh, pushing each other around in joyous banter while Voxel aims at one of the targets with her crossbow. The girl from Three manages to shoot a bullseye to which Hilda applauds, hugging her.

Mune cringes. He should probably train as well before it's his turn to enter the combat ring. But he won't be training with them. Sure, they're his alliance members but that doesn't mean he has to be attached to their hip all the time. Besides, if Hilda would rather train with them than with him, then she can go ahead and do so. Not that he cares or anything. Mune doesn't understand the point of this alliance. A semi-paralyzed girl, a kid who barely ever speaks up, and a boy who can't go five minutes without dropping something. Yes, now that's the team to beat, isn't it?

They might as well give up now. Had it been just him and Hilda they could have made a lot more progress by now. He could have been the one standing there with her while she has her arms wrapped around his neck, her soft and supple hair caressing his cheek.

Mune picks up a short sword and charges at one of the dummies, no, one of his opponents. He slices through the right shoulder, then through the kidney, then through the gut and, finally, he shoves the whole blade into his opponent and pulls it out, half-expecting blood to come oozing from the barren body. But alas it's just a dummy. He goes back and readies himself once more, tightening his grip around the hilt of the weapon.

'Mune Silk from District Eight, please make your way to the combat ring,' the intercom sounds. Mune sighs, putting the weapon away. On his way out he spots a girl staring at him with pale blue eyes. She's enchanting, to say the least. He wants to approach her and ask her about her name but before Mune gets the chance to Hilda and the rest of his alliance surround him with their bright smiles.

'You're going to do great, I just know it,' Hilda says.

'Yeah…' Mune answers, knowing very well that he most likely will not do as great as she expects him to.

Once he enters the chamber, he's instructed to take a seat on an armchair-like structure. The chair sinks slowly until Mune's placed completely on his back. Two of the assistants attach a headpiece to Mune's skull and then everything goes black.

When Mune opens his eyes again, he's standing in the middle of the combat ring which consists of a circular platform. He glances back. He'll never get used to seeing his unconscious body in the back while his virtually pixelized form is experiencing all the senses that his organic body would. To his right, he sees his health bar still full which probably won't stay that way for very long. And to his left stands the large glass frame, revealing the other tributes who are all watching him, judging him. Some tributes are missing but all of the careers are sitting there. They don't need to train for any battle. They've been preparing for this all their lives. They are quite literally trained killers and so they spend most of their time assessing the outliers, measuring their prey.

Mune's so distracted by everything going on around him that he barely notices his opponent and when he does, he's taken aback for a moment. He recognizes that blank, emotionless stare. He recognizes the icy blue in her eyes. He recognizes the pointy nose, the elfish ears. It's the girl from before but what is she doing here? He looks up at the screen.

_Fayette Brownfield, District Ten Female_

She's a tribute…

How come he's never even noticed her before this? He can't recall a single moment where he's encountered her during the pre-games.

He makes his way to the weaponry wall and so does she. His eyes drift from weapon to weapon before finally finding the one he's most used to. He climbs the ladder to the top and grabs his trusty shortsword. Fayette seems to be taking a little longer than he is so he goes back to his position and waits.

When the girl finally settles on a small knife, the battle begins. Mune can't really focus on anything right now. There are just too many thoughts flying through his head, gnawing on his attention span. He, finally, snaps back to reality when he notices Fayette slowly walking towards him, taking her sweet time. Should he run at her? Knock her to the ground? It all feels so wrong.

She's just a few feet away from him now. Mune lifts his sword quickly and attempts to bring it down on the girl's shoulder just the way he did in training but she evades it with incredible speed. Fayette disappears past him. When Mune turns around he sees her perched on the ground, her cat-eyes making contact with him, like a predator. And that's when he feels the stinging for the first time. He puts his hand on his side and feels the wound. His health bar is slowly running out. Shit.

Mune has to act quickly. He cuts at the girl repeatedly, first aiming for her torso but she just jumps to the side. Mune hits the ground instead. Next, he goes for her neck, trying to slash a vital artery but no matter how hard he tries to spill blood, he just cuts the air over and over again. He's never seen anyone react as fast as she does. Even the careers seem surprised with the District One Male raising his eyebrows at his fellow alliance members. He catches the girl from Two nodding.

Mune has very little energy left. He feels the life being drained out of him as he becomes slower and slower, his health bar getting shorter and shorter. Is that all the fight he has in him? Is that really all he can do? When he's finally down on his knees, Fayette walks up to him again, the same pale expression reflecting off her face. This time, however, she makes it quick and drags her knife across his throat.

His head bangs against the ground in silence.

* * *

Dimitris Apostolos, 18

District Two Male

* * *

Watching the battles take place, does remind Dimitris of his life before coming to the Capitol. He was - and still is - known as _The Greek God_. _The unbeatable champion_. _Dimitris the undefeated_. He has so many names he can't even keep track of all of them anymore. The only difference is that during wrestling you'd have the crowd go nuts over you and cheer you on. Here, you're hoping for the participants to do badly because those are the people you'll go up against. Not just in a mock battle like in wrestling but in an actual battle royale to the bloody end.

Morse the little kid from Seven barely has any fight in them, going up against Johar from District Nine. Dimitris remembers Raja saying something about the younger tributes forming an alliance together but the way the battle is going, Dimitris hopes they have some plan figured out to get themselves out of the bloodbath. It's not looking good for them the way things are now.

For some odd reason, Morse decided to go with a pickaxe while Johar stuck with a simple Gladius blade. Morse swings the pickaxe horizontally Johar's way who ducks and evades in the opposite direction. Morse, however, brings the pickaxe right back at him from the other side, puncturing the boy's stomach and defeating him. Dimitris respects Morse's quick thinking more than anything else. He catches Mrs. Nakamura taking quick notes before calling in the next pair.

When Diana and Pavlov step into the ring, Dimitris senses that something's about to go down. There's a fire that burns in both of them that resembles the same overwhelming energy in some of Dimitris' former opponents like _The Spearman_ or _The Lava Tarantula_; two of his most formidable rivals in the wrestling industry.

Diana picks up a light hatchet that she swings around her body, testing its flexibility. Pavlov, on the other hand, wraps a belt of throwing knives around his waist and takes his stance. When the gong rings neither wastes any time. Pavlov slides two knives out of their sheaths and begins hurling them towards Diana who manages to sidestep away from them. Realizing that the girl is gaining on him, Pavlov backtracks a little putting more distance between himself and the fiery girl. He continues to throw the knives in her direction but Diana evades as she charges at him. It was surprising for Dimitris to watch the boy throw these knives with such accuracy. Dimitris isn't even sure if he'd have done a better job. The skill of some of the tributes this year is unlike any other. And yet the moment Pavlov realizes he's only got one knife left panic takes over. He muffles something under his breath and aims for Diana's head. Dimitris could have sworn that the weapon had already made contact with Diana's cheekbones but through some miracle, the girl deflects the blade with her axe. Even Pavlov has come to accept his defeat as he stands there, waiting for Diana to smash her hatchet into his skull. And then she does.

For some reason, Dimitris' nerves are getting to him. There's a tingling sensation spreading from his gut. He's never been nervous before entering the wrestling ring. He knew at least half the audience was rooting for him, holding up banners with his face on it. The moment he stepped into the ring, he could only hear whistling and applause and that was enough to fuel him for the match. Here, however, the atmosphere is dark and grim and he can see the hate reflecting off of everyone's eyes. They _want_ him to lose.

The next pair steps into the combat chamber.

Urid Dondarron is built quite strongly and his height towers over most of the other tributes. In comparison to the boy from Eleven, Colin seems like a frail little mouse. Dimitris catches Colin's hands shaking a little as he reaches out for the Gladius; the same weapon that Johar had picked.

'People do like their shortswords…' Barracuda says quietly from beside him, his thumb resting on the base of his chin. Dimitris nods cluelessly.

When Urid settles on the Rapier, the battle commences. What really puzzles Dimitris is the look on Colin's face; a look of overwhelming fear that seems to have consumed Colin as he stands still on his starting position, petrified and unable to keep his weapon still. Raja looks back at Barracuda, the same confused expression plastered onto her face.

When Urid gets close enough to the boy, ready to plunge the blade of the Rapier into his stomach, Colin reacts and dives to the side, landing on the floor. Dimitris can tell that Colin is trying to hold back a scream as his chest heaves up and down rapidly. The match doesn't last much longer after Urid skewers Colin below him.

When Colin returns to the waiting room all the careers stare daggers at him. Dimitris feels the need to comfort him but thankfully Pamela is the first to take his hand and lead him out of the waiting room. Perhaps it's better that way. Dimitris already feels on the outs in this alliance. There's no need to distance himself even more.

Dimitris feels a gentle nudge on his side. 'I think you're up, Dimi,' Zo says, pointing at the monitor that's hanging from the ceiling:

_Dimitris Apostolos, District Two Male Vs Phoenix Adler, District Seven Female_

He takes a deep breath before getting up and making his way towards the ring. Phoenix follows closely behind him. Before the two of them part ways, Phoenix grabs ahold of his shoulder. 'I'm only taking part in this duel because I know that none of us will actually be injured in the process,' she says before walking to her respective station, not giving him the chance to answer.

Still confused by the girl's statement, Dimitris picks up the Warhammer from the rack. It's the same weapon he trained with a few days ago and he felt most comfortable with it. The weapon was very heavy, to say the least. He takes his position and waits as Phoenix walks up to the ring, a Quarterstaff held firmly in her right hand.

When the battle begins, Phoenix storms towards Dimitris, the tip of her staff pointed directly at him. Since his weapon is so heavy Dimitris' reflexes also aren't as good. He takes the hit and staggers back a little, catching Barracuda shaking his head on the side. The same tingling feeling starts to overwhelm him but he won't let himself end up like Colin. When Phoenix charges at him again, he shoves the hilt of his hammer against the girl's stomach, causing her to tumble. He lifts the hammer and brings it down on her but she rolls to the side, shooting the staff against his leg rapidly. Dimitris winces but doesn't let the girl escape his sight. He lifts the hammer again, aiming for her but barely misses. Phoenix slams her staff in his direction but he manages to block it with his hammer. The two of them stand in a deadlock. 'Kick me,' she whispers.

'What?' Dimitris asks, trying not to attract too much attention.

'Kick me to the floor and defeat me,' she says. Phoenix notices Dimitri's cluelessness and decides to specify. 'It's not my intention to kill you, Dimitris, even if it's just a simulation. My goal is simply to show that I'm not weak and I feel that I've accomplished that. So kick me…' she hisses a little. Following Phoenix's instructions, he slams his foot against her stomach, sending her flying to the ground. Before it becomes a little too obvious that the two of them have staged the scenario, he brings the hammer down on her head.

When the two of them wake up, she walks off as if nothing had happened, joining Urid in the corner of the waiting area. Dimitris, about to walk up to her, is interrupted by Zo who wraps her arms around him. 'You did so great! I was almost worried about you there.'

'Yeah, but I wasn't gonna let her beat me. I wouldn't be able to face you guys if she did.' he chuckles awkwardly, trying not to make eye contact with Phoenix who was so clearly set on her goals that Dimitris can't help but admire her a little.

* * *

Raja Ali, 18

District One Female

* * *

_Her older sister, Raina, had always been the wild one, the adventurous one, the daring one. The sisters were only two years apart but couldn't be any more different. While Raja preferred to stay at home and read books and play board games with her friends, Raina wanted to go out and take part in mock battles and exhaust herself until she came home late at night, barely able to make it to the front porch._

_Raja remembers it exactly; the way Raina talked about thee free climbing challenge all week long. To take part in this challenge -which involved the trainees at the Academy ascending the great climbing wall without any safety gear- had been a big dream of Raina's. Raja had even canceled all her plans to go and watch her sister try to make it to the top and beat out all the other hopefuls. Raja knew her sister would win. She was the chosen volunteer after all._

_Nobody had expected the future champion to slip and break her torso on the ground and to be carried away by wailing ambulances._

_'Ready?' Raja asks._

_'Ready.' Raina gives her a thumbs up. Raja grabs ahold of the wheelchair and leads Raina out of the house. She had been looking forward to getting some alone time with her sister_

_The two girls stay silent at first, the leaves that are dragged across the floor by the wind, taking up most of the noise._

_'I… I'm sorry,' Raina says briefly._

_'What are you going on about ?' Raja asks, turning the wheelchair so that Raina has a good view of the park as Raja takes a seat next to her on the bench._

_'I don't want you to die…' Raja catches a little stutter in her sister's voice. She puts her arm around Raina._

_'I'm not going to die. I've studied, I've prepared.' she rubs Raina's shoulder. 'I know what I'm doing.'_

_'Look at me.' Raina cups Raja's cheeks with both her hands. Raja sees the red in her sister's eyes, the dried lips, the gentle glimmer. 'You were supposed to go to uni and make something of yourself.' Raina's head sinks. 'You aren't supposed to be following my stupid dream…'_

_'Sure, I could go and study…' Raja starts. She wasn't going to explain to her sister that their family could never afford for her to go to university. They barely have enough money left after trying to treat Raina to feed themselves. 'But I'd rather die than leave my family behind.'_

_'Please don't go…' Raina whimpers. '...please.'_

_Raja puts her hand over Raina's. 'I'll come back. I promise you that.'_

* * *

Watching these combat trails has begun to worry Raja more than she'd like to admit. Have outlying tributes always been that good? Or are the tributes training harder now that they know they stand a chance with their abilities? Either option is concerning.

And it isn't necessarily that the tributes are winning over the careers but it's more the fact that none of the tributes go into the battle with a defeated spirit. Everyone is giving it their all and that's what has Raja convinced that determination and hope have a big role to play this year. She'll have to take that into consideration when facing any opponent in the arena.

However, the last two battles have been rather unimpressive. Sure, it might be due to the fact that in both scenarios an outlier was competing against a career but these tributes weren't on the same level as the previous ones she'd seen.

Some might say it was unfair to pit a little girl like Hilda against a cold assassin like Nastya but it doesn't come down to defeating your opponent. It's all about demonstrating your skill. In the arena, it won't be as simple as a virtual battle where the stakes are rather low. And yet Hilda seemed so confident when she walked up to Nastya, knowing very well that she was bound to lose. The battle was over as soon as it had begun after Nastya wrapped the chains of her kusarigama around Hilda's ankle and pulling her to the ground. The poor girl from Eight was dragged closer and closer until Nastya planted the blade of the weapon into her gut.

Raja has never liked Goud's hubris that seems to have consumed him over the past days. It's like he's trying to seem overly-confident, especially after having been outvoted in the career poll. Nobody in their right mind would pick a whip to go into a death battle with but that's exactly what the fool did when he went up against Severin who had chosen the sickle as her weapon. Goud was surprisingly skilled with the odd weapon, managing to slice a few wounds into the girl from afar. The whip cut like a knife but a lot faster. However, as Raja would have predicted it didn't take long for the whip to get all tangled up, giving Severin the chance to attack with her sickle. The girl carved a wound into Goud's thigh before he pushed her away and ripped the sickle out of her hands, killing her with it.

It was a stupid move on his part but she won't intervene. It's only a matter of time until Barracuda notices the same. And if he doesn't then she'll make him notice one way or another.

'Raja Ali from District Two, please make your way to the combat chamber.'

_Finally._

When Raja lays eyes on her opponent she halts. Voxel wheels past Raja to her station, the assistants helping her get onto the seat. 'Is this supposed to be a joke?' Raja turns to the examiner, Mrs. Nakamura.

'Pardon?' she asks.

'The girl's clearly unable to fight, let alone walk,' Raja says firmly.

'Well, she won't be for long.' Mrs. Nakamura points at the virtual hologram of the girl from Three. 'Please take your position, Mrs. Ali.'

When Raja wakes up in the ring with Voxel facing her, she looks at the audience. Goud tilts his head a little while Barracuda furrows his eyebrows in confusion. They're all expecting her to kill this little girl. They're expecting her to…

Raja looks back at Voxel who doesn't seem to care about the situation. The girl just mumbles to herself while taking a few steps. One at a time. Very slowly. When she looks up, Raja sees the tears in her eyes; the tears of joy that overcome her. Raja shakes her head. She can't do it. She won't do it.

This girl, Voxel Phong, reminds her so much of her own sister. She sees Raina learning how to walk again. She sees her sister, who was always there to protect her, never losing hope even when things weren't looking good. Raja can't possibly kill a girl who's just experienced the gift of using her own two legs for the first time. She can't take that moment away from her. She won't.

'No, I won't do it,' Raja says.

'Mrs. Ali, I hope you are aware that if you're not willing to fight, I'll have to assign both of you the lowest possible score.' Mrs. Nakamura taps her pencil against the notebook.

'Then you can go ahead and do that.'

When Raja enters the waiting room, they all try to approach her, mixed emotions on their faces. She catches anger on Barracuda's, amusement on Goud's, worry on Nastya's, sympathy on Dimitris' and Zo's. But Raja just brushed past all of them. She's had enough of everything for one day.

* * *

Phoenix Adler, 16

District Seven Female

* * *

Watching Leven brawl it out with Aditya, a boy double her size, was terrifying for Phoenix. No matter how hard Leven tries to push Phoenix away, she won't back down. She knows that Leven's just scared and overwhelmed by everything. She sees it in the girl's aura; the blue and red strings, floating around her body. But Leven seems to be handling herself perfectly fine. Phoenix would have never expected a girl as small as she is to go with a pair of brass knuckles. Aditya, on the other hand, picked the mace as his weapon of choice. Phoenix ponders whether or not it was pure coincidence that both of them picked blunt, hard-hitting weapons.

Leven goes in for the uppercut, catching Aditya off guard. The boy from Ten stumbles back but Leven doesn't back down, pounding him hard in the stomach. Aditya hurls his mace in Leven's direction, knocking her on the head. She shouts out. Phoenix cringes at the sight of her dear friend in pain. As Aditya goes in for another hit, Leven punches him in the face. He falls to the floor this time as Leven pounces on top of him, bashing his face in until his life bar is drained completely.

Dirk and Alpha's battle doesn't last long either with the latter having difficulties loading his bow which gave Dirk plenty of time to gut the boy from Three with his longsword. Phoenix turns to Urid. 'That won't look good on his resume.' Urid shrugs.

'If he still doesn't know how to load a bow after three days that's on him,' Urid says coldly, leaning back.

'I know but I still feel bad for him,' Phoenix says. 'Do you know what pair is left?'

Urid gets up and scans the room. 'I think the dude from Four and the girl from Six.'

'Oh god, Urid, I can't watch that,' Phoenix says, resting her forehead on the palm of her hands.

'I know it's horrible to watch but if we want to survive the bloodbath we have to understand how these people fight, you know?' The truth is, if it were up to Phoenix the two of them would be having a cozy lunch by now, talking about other things than the Games but Urid was insistent on having them watch these battles. And while Phoenix does, in fact, understand his mentality she can't help the nauseous feeling that's been getting worse with time. She just wanted to get her battle with Dimitris over with but she promised Urid to at least try and so she did. She tried and she lost.

'Yeah… I know.' She gives herself a gentle slap on the cheek and sits up straight. Cecilia looks ridiculously small in comparison to the bulky Barracuda from Four. The girl has to pull off a miracle to impress the examiner but Phoenix doesn't see how that's possible. And then something rather strange happens. Barracuda sets his katana blade to the side and gestures for Cecilia to approach him.

'What the hell is he doing?' she hears Raja hissing to Nastya.

As any normal person would, Cecila charges at him with her tomahawk. The mousy girl raises her weapon in preparation. If it weren't for the fact that Cecilia had managed to trip on her own feet and plummet to the ground before reaching the boy from Four, there might have been hope for a fairly good outcome. Barracuda breaks into laughter, also falling to the ground. Phoenix catches a few snickers from the audience. Urid can sense Phoenix getting angrier and angrier. He puts his hand on her shoulder, slowly shaking his head.

As Cecilia tries to get back up, Barracuda tosses the Tomahawk over to her. She catches it awkwardly before it slips out of her hands again. Barracuda continues to laugh. Phoenix thought that she'd been the only one getting angrier but she can tell that the girl from One isn't finding the whole scenario as funny as everyone else seems to find it. She sees Raja clenching her fists in frustration.

'Alright, alright, enough with his,' Barracuda says. Cecilia swings her axe at him but he effortlessly dodges the attack. Using his katana blade, Barracuda slices through her arms with two clean cuts. Phoenix holds her mouth shut with her hand and looks away. The gong rings, signaling that the battle is over. Phoenix doesn't bring herself to look in the direction of the ring even after the battle. Only when she hears Cecilia's screams does she look up again. The girl from Six charges at Barracuda with a dagger. The holograms are nowhere to be seen. This is real life.

About to pounce on Barracuda, knife ready to stab into his flesh, the peacekeepers rush in, holding the young girl back and pulling her away from the boy who's petrified eyes remain in place.

They shove her out of the chamber as she dashes towards the exit in a flurry of tears. Phoenix gives Urid one quick glance and trails the girl, he following closely behind her. They find Cecilia in the corner of the cafeteria, her face buried into her crossed arms on the table.

'What do you want?' Cecilia mumbles.

'I wanted to ask if you'd like to join our alliance…' Phoenix says. Urid nudges her, raising his eyebrows. She puts her hand on him and nods affirmatively. He shrugs and steps back. Cecilia reminds Phoenix a lot of Leven and even though she isn't able to help Leven overcome her own inner conflicts right now, she'll do whatever she can to protect this girl.

'Why do you want me? I'm a freak.' Cecilia looks up. 'I-I can't even run for god's sake.'

Phoenix shakes her head. 'Then let me help you. We all have our demons and if we let them get to us, if we let them eat us up from the inside; that's when we give up and none of us are quitters here.'

Cecilia gets up from her seats, enveloping Phoenix in a gentle hug. 'I'll protect you,' She says to Phoenix's surprise. Phoenix returns the hug and the two of them stay like that for a while.

* * *

OVERVIEW OF THE MATCH-UPS AND SCORES:

1\. PAIRING:

Zo (Spear) Vs Pam (Dual Daggers)

Winner: Zo

Scores: Zo (9) and Pam (8)

2\. PAIRING:

Fayette (Small Knife) Vs Mune (Shortsword)

Winner: Fayette

Scores: Fayette (7) and Mune (5)

3\. PAIRING:

Morse (Pickaxe) Vs Johar (Gladius)

Winner: Morse

Scores: Morse (5) and Johar (3)

4\. PAIRING:

Diana (Hatchet) Vs Pavlov (Throwing Knives)

Winner: Diana

Scores: Diana (8) and Pavlov (7)

5\. PAIRING:

Urid (Rapier) Vs Colin (Gladius)

Winner: Urid

Scores: Urid (7) and Colin (3)

6\. PAIRING:

Dimitris (Warhammer) Vs Phoenix (Quarterstaff)

Winner: Dimitris

Scores: Dimitris (9) and Phoenix (7)

7\. PAIRING:

Hilda (Spear) Vs Nastya (Kusarigama)

Winner: Nastya

Scores: Hilda (2) Vs Nastya (10)

8\. PAIRING:

Goud (Whip) Vs Severin (Sickle)

Winner: Goud

Scores: Goud (9) and Severin (6)

9\. PAIRING:

Raja (no weapon) Vs Voxel (no weapon)

Winner: None

Scores: Raja (1) and Voxel (1)

10\. PAIRING:

Leven (Brass Knuckles) Vs Aditya (Mace)

Winner: Leven

Scores: Leven (7) and Aditya (6)

11\. PAIRING:

Dirk (Longsword) Vs Alpha (Bow and Arrow)

Winner: Dirk

Scores: Dirk (7) and Alpha (2)

12\. PAIRING:

Barracuda (Katana) Vs Cecilia (Tomahawk)

Winner: Barracuda

Scores: Barracuda (10) Vs Cecilia (2)

* * *

**And there you have it! The Combat Trials! I'm too lazy to post the updated alliance list but there was like literally one single modification so if you read the chapter you know what's new. Yeah, it took a while to get it out and I'm sorry yadda yadda yadda. Anyway, I hope you had fun reading this chapter and I'll see all of you with the Survival Trials next week (hopefully). **

**Oh, and if anyone is interested in submitting to my colab with JAJ and LCS, The Survivor Games: Madagascar, feel free to PM me. We're looking for people who haven't submitted yet :) **

**See ya!**


	14. Survival Trials: We Choose to Live

Leven Granert, 14

District Five Female

* * *

Leven tries not to knock herself out against a tree as she wanders through the dark depths of the forest, flailing her hands in front of her like a ghoul trying to grasp for human flesh. The sky is pitch black without any stars that could possibly help form a path for the lost girl. The dusty, grey clouds have formed an impenetrable wall in front of the full moon. So, basically everything and everyone is screwing her over right now.

'Ah, shit!' Leven shouts after bumping against a tree stump. She awkwardly reaches for her forehead with her fingers, feeling the warm blood oozing out. No matter what happens she won't show these idiot gamemakers any signs of fear. She's a strong, independent girl and if they want to throw her into this forest, thinking she'll lose her mind as the hours go by she's got a big surprise for them coming. This is nothing. If she crumbles due to the current situation she won't last two days when the real battle begins.

Leven continues to grab on to the various tree stumps - some thicker, some slimmer - pushing herself forward. The wet leaves on the floor make a moist squishing sound when she steps on them. She almost tripped on a few roots, raging out of the earth but she never showed any signs of surprise. Her strategy is to remain cool, calm, and collected. If they're watching her on a monitor right now, she has to prove to them that she's the survivalist she was born to be. Leven's calm demeanor vanishes, however, when she hears the sound of howling a few feet away from her.

Her muscles freeze. She moves down slowly, perching her weight on her thighs in a squatting position. As soon as she goes quiet, everything else follows the stillness as if the forest is watching her every move, making sure Leven knows her place; making sure she knows that she's utterly insignificant compared to the rooted might of her surroundings. The only possible explanation to the sounds she's hearing is that there are wolves nearby… very nearby.

Leven dares to tiptoe away from the dark pit that stares menacingly at her from her right field of vision, still maintaining her crouching position. The huffing and puffing of the hounds cause shivers to crawl over her skin. She mustn't make any sound. The only issue, of course, is that she can't even tell what's on the floor. As far as Leven can tell, she's put quite a bit of distance between herself and the sounds now. She relaxes and takes a step forward.

_Snap._

And silence. Brutal silence. And then she hears it; the flurry of paws jolting in her direction from in between the forest cracks. There's no time. Leven has to make a run for it. And when her instincts take over, that's when Leven notices how she manages to avoid all the tree stumps in her hectic attempt to put some distance between herself and the predators. It's like her body has taken over the steering wheel, completely dismissing the logic that her brain is trying to present. And when the growling and howling starts to haunt her from behind it just pushes her to run even faster.

Sure, through some miracle she might have managed to avoid the trees blocking her path but there was just no way she could have foreseen the giant pit spread out nicely by the gamemakers in front of her.

As she falls she remembers the feeling of desperation when her train derailed on the way to the Capitol. The same sheet of darkness covers her eyes before she hits the dirt beneath her.

Leven can barely make out anything within the dark pit of dirt that she landed in. Using her palm of her hand, Leven blindly feels the area around her, trying to make out something, anything. It doesn't take long, however for her eyes to get used to the darkness and when she finally manages to spot the piled up skeletons in the corner, she falls on her back and screams. So much for displaying a confident exterior. Leven's screams, however, also confirmed that the wolves hadn't abandoned their prey, instead, growling above the pit, not really wanting to jump down and join Leven in her humble abode but hoping that she makes it out so that they can feast on her when she makes it to the top.

Leven told herself she wasn't going to show weakness. Throughout this whole journey, ever since her name was called out during the reapings she promised herself that she wasn't going to let the Capitol get to her, however, at this very moment when Leven leans against the wall of the pit, throwing her head back and sighing she can't help but let the tears fall. And they fall gracefully, her face displaying an utterly blank expression. She, herself, doesn't understand why that girl from Seven, Phoenix, had been so kind to her… but something about that kindness makes her mistrust the girl even more than all the other tributes and whenever Leven thinks about how she let herself be vulnerable with her ever so foolishly, she wants to bash her head against a wall. Maybe that's how Leven ended up in an alliance she doesn't even want to be a part of. The boy from Ten, Aditya, doesn't trust him at all. The two of them have previously never established any kind of relationship and now all of a sudden Pavlov invites him into their alliance. The only thing tying her and Aditya together is Pavlolv and that's most definitely not a solid foundation for an alliance.

Nothing so far seems to have worked out for her. Well, at least she got to bash her fists into Aditya's face in the combat trials. As far as Leven's concerned, she's done a pretty good job of scoring as high as possible. She doesn't care if some tributes score low on purpose to fly under the radar but she won't. Leven will prove to the older tributes that she's a beast and if she really wants to do that she'll have to score high in this trial as well.

There's a reason why the gamemakers plopped a skeleton into this pit with her and not only a pile of bones but also a pile of wood. What she does with those tools is up to her and Leven might have a plan…

She drags one of the skeletons to the center of the pit, dislocating the joints of its limbs and tearing them away from the body. She proceeds to tear the various limbs into even smaller subunits. Quite frankly, Leven isn't even sure how she managed to muster up all that power and drive but for some reason the wheels in her head are turning and they're turning fast. Leven uses the pelvis that she yanked out of the body to start shoveling holes into the wall, not too big so the earth doesn't give in but large enough for her hands and feet to fit in. When it starts getting a little too high for her to reach, Leven digs her feet into the holes to elevate herself and continues to dig. However, now she needs to use the skeleton's severed forearms to bore the holes since she can only use one hand to dig now, the other holding on to the dirt holes. Slowly, Leven manages to build a staircase of some sort.

However, Leven's also aware of the fact that a pack of hungry wolves is waiting for her at the top. Swiftly the girl climbs back down and grabs a hold of the pile of food. Remembering what Leven learned during the training days, she rubs the pieces of food together rapidly, creating a point of friction. As she continues to rub the pieces against each other the first signs of smoke appear. She slows down and starts to blow on it. When she catches sight of the embers, Leven blows on it to maintain the flame but she doesn't want it spreading out too much so she shoves the pieces of wood into the eye socket of the skeleton's skull, creating a luminescent orb.

Now it's action time. She has to act quickly before the flame goes out and her plan fails. She uses the small dirt holes that she dug in the wall to climb up but she doesn't want to go too high so the wolves don't catch sight of her. Leven then tosses the glowing skull as far as she can, hearing the wolves chase after it like the brainless creatures that they are. Her window of opportunity has presented itself. Now, using both her hands, she crawls to the surface, almost losing her footing a few times, and makes a run for it.

* * *

Colin Kurz, 16

District Six Male

* * *

'Now remember, this is just a simulation so nothing can actually happen to you,' one of the gamemakers tells Colin as he gets comfortable in his armchair, cracking his neck on both sides. 'There are no specific rules you need to follow. Our goal is simply to observe how well you can survive in a given situation.' Colin nods. The lady presses a few buttons on her tablet as Colin's chair slowly moves down into a horizontal position. 'Are you ready?'

'Sure am,' he says, closing his eyes and letting the woman attach the headpiece to his skull. After that it doesn't take long for his surroundings to morph into something it wasn't supposed to be. And yet Colin only really starts to understand his situation when he's got the scorching sun smiling menacingly at him from the clear blue sky.

And so they decided to stick him into a desert wasteland. A small part of Colin just wanted to throw his hands up but he also understands the weight he carries in this trial. After having completely bombed the least combat trials, there's really only one option left for Colin. He needs to give the careers a reason to keep him. Sure, he's managed to play his psychic card a couple of times now, serving as an oracle of sorts to the trained killers but there are only so many times he can rely on his essence skills to get him out of trouble. There's nothing worse than dragging along another mouth to feet and if they realize that they could have it so much easier without him; that's when his game is over.

It's not like the careers have just let it fly past them that he messed up the combat trials. Standing there in front of Urid, knowing that the kid from Eleven was intending on skewering him with his blade was a terrible feeling that Colin couldn't get rid of in the heat of the moment. When he's at home, calculating tributes odds, predicting how long a tribute will last and telling himself how he'd have done it differently and how he'd have probably managed to survive better was a completely different experience than being there in the moment. Perhaps he had been a bit too hard on the tributes in the previous games...

He's been grilled by Barracuda more than anyone and has received quite a lot of stares from Nastya and Raja as well. The only career who's really been comforting or at the very least going easy on him was Goud and Colin knew why. The District One boy knew that he and Pamela were a very reliable source for him to build an opposition of sorts to combat Raja's plans. Pam and Colin have spent a lot of time entertaining the idea of various outcomes that this rivalry could lead to but both he and she were aware of the fact that they needed to use this crack in the alliance to their advantage because at the end of the way a boy from Six and a girl from Nine will never fit into a traditional career pack.

Well, if it's a desert wasteland they want him to survive in that's what he'll have to make do with. Colin, realizing for the first time now that he's got a backpack attached behind him, drops the bag on the floor and opens it, looking for anything he can use. A medkit, a piece of rope and a knife… no food or water. Fantastic. Colin chuckles a little. They really aren't going to make it easy for him, are they? Colin can already sense the emptiness in his stomach and the dryness in his throat as a thick sheet of sweat begins to form on his forehead. He needs to find a source of water quickly.

Immediately, Colin notices a bee making its way past him. Seems like the gamemakers are dropping hints. Colin has read enough books to understand the behavior of bees. Bees tend to fly in a straight line from in between a water source and their hive. Although Colin can't tell if the bee is heading towards the water source or its hive, it is a gamble he's willing to take. He runs after the bee, trying not to get too close as not to disturb the busy creature. He goes on to do this for about ten minutes, the wet film in his trachea having dissolved almost completely now. His body goes into auto-pilot as he blindly follows the bee to what he hopes to be a blooming oasis. Perhaps the devotion Colin displayed for the bee is what led him to step on the viper crossing his path.

Before the reptile manages to dig its fangs into him, Colin falls over in shock, hitting his leg against a rock and causing a big gash to form. With all the power he can muster, he kicks with his legs, pushing himself away from the serpent. The creature doesn't bother following him, instead disappearing between a pile of rocks. Colin unzips his backpack and grabs the first aid kit. He splashes the alcohol on his leg, biting at the collar of his shirt in pain. He then ties the bandages around the wound and clips it all together before slinging the bag over his shoulder and continuing.

Well, Colin has lost the trusty bee but luckily he spots small flora starting to grow on the ground. He follows the little patches as they become bigger and more frequent. And when Colin lays his eyes on a group of prickly pear cacti his mouth begins to water. Not many people would know that the colorful fruit this cactus carries is actually edible. Colin runs towards the plants as fast as he can, almost dismissing the soft and slightly moist sand at his feet. He stops in his tracks, looking below him. It's fun when the gamemakers give him little things like these; little opportunities for him to show off his knowledge. He starts digging a deep hole in the sand, making sure it's wide enough.

For now, Colin leaves the hole behind, making his way to the cacti. He takes out the small knife and starts cutting down the cactus fruit, not minding the thorns poking his skin. He gathers the pear-shaped orbs of deliciousness in a pile and cuts off the prickly thorns. He proceeds to skin the fruit one by one, biting into its juicy flesh and accidentally squirting some moisture on his shirt.

After half an hour he runs over to the pit he dug earlier and smiles at the sight of the water puddle that had formed in his absence. Colin takes off his shirt, dipping it in the puddle and twisting it above his mouth, letting the cool freshwater drip down his throat smoothly. He throws himself on his back and smiles to himself. For some odd reason he'd rather be here right now under the scorching sun than back in the dull training facility with a group of kids just waiting to find all his flaws and use them against him.

Yes, he'd much rather like to be here.

* * *

Barracuda 'Arra' Bannister, 18

District Four Male

* * *

Barracuda claws at a nearby tree, trying to pull himself closer as the waves hit against his body, splashing his face with water and temporarily blinding him. He wraps his thighs around the trunk of the tree, resisting the pressure that's tugging at the rest of his body, trying to tear him away and pull him downstream. A small eureka moment inspires Barracuda to climb up the tree, gaining some higher ground. And so he begins to ascend the oak tree and yet around midway, about to reach the crown, he senses the tree tilting a little bit. And then tilting more. And more. And before he could let himself fall into the violent current, the tree does the job for him, slamming him into the stream.

So they're making it nearly impossible for him to survive this simulation. Barracuda's sure of the fact that they'd never throw this kind of shit at the outliers. They'd have died at the pure sight of the fucking dam collapsing.

Barracuda covers his face with balled fists, trying to avoid the rocks, gravel, and other sediments flying towards his face from every which way. When Barracuda tears his eyes open underwater, still holding his breath, lungs starting to burn a little, he notices the downward slope that's forming ahead and the pieces of wood being dragged down by the gravitational forces. A waterfall. He tries to swim diagonally in the hopes of reaching land in time but it's no use; he's too slow. Barracuda readies himself for the free fall that's awaiting him at the end of the cliff with a gnarly smile.

And just as he's about to swim back to the surface he catches a glimpse of a root sticking out of the earth at the bottom of the stream just before the cliff. With all his might, Barracuda wraps both his hands around the stem of the root, feeling the immense force of the tide pulling him back. The root, however, seems sturdy, able to keep him from plummeting to his doom. Barracuda dives back underwater, scanning the area around him for useful items that might help him escape the waters.

With no plan, he dives back up for air, failing to catch the bulky log, soaring towards him, in time. The log smashes against Barracuda's face, he feeling his teeth leaving their rooted position and the metallic taste filling the cavity of his mouth. His reflexes kick in as he lets go of the root, grabbing on to his face in horror and pain not even caring that the tide has now engulfed him and dragged him away. All he can think about while he falls helplessly is the immense pain he's feeling.

This pain…

'Bullshit!' Barracuda shouts, ripping the headpiece away from himself as soon as he wakes up in the real world. 'This is bullshit!' he hops off the armchair before storming out the room ignoring the gamemakers' attempts to calm him down and get him to stay. They had no leverage over him. What were they going to do? Kill him? Of course they weren't going to do that… they still needed him for these fucked up games.

'Everything right now is just so fucked up!' he slams the door open, walking past the tributes who are still awaiting their turn for the survival trial. He catches the boy from Five raising his eyebrows at him. 'What are you looking at?' he hisses at him, not waiting for a response before he opens the door to the main training hall and stepping out.

This was embarrassing. His performance was horrendous. How… how is he supposed to lead a whole career pack of seven people when he can't even take care of his own ass. He feels the same empty pit forming in his stomach, telling him to stuff every crevice of his body with food. It'll make him feel better. Surely it will. It must…

'Barracuda, what the hell was that?' He lets go of his hair, realizing that he'd been gripping them tightly, instead, turning around to face a distressed Raja, hands resting on her hips. 'You can't just lose your cool like that in front of the other tributes,' she says as she gets closer to him not breaking off eye contact once.

'You don't understand, these trials are rigged against us, careers,' Barracuda says. 'They'd never put an outlier through this shit... ' Barracuda struggles to find the words, instead, gesturing with his hands. 'I had stuff flying at my face from all directions and… and I couldn't _do_ anything.' He squeezes the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his index finger. 'It's just not fair, alright?'

Raja sighs. 'Arra, I don't think they're rigging these trials to make it harder for careers.' she brushes her hair back. 'Have some faith in the system,' she adds to which Barracuda simply wants to roll his eyes until they reach the back of his head. Besides, it doesn't give you a gateway to get all riled up like this and turn all the attention towards yourself. It was stupid.' Barracuda feels like letting out a loud groan at that but knows to shut up. As a leader he has to be able to keep his cool in situations like these. He npds at Raja but notices the girl's demeanor changing when she spots Goud and Colin walking over to them.

'If I may intervene,' Goud says, raising his finger and taking a step closer. 'Honestly, I think Barracuda has a point…'

'Thank you, Goud!' Barracuda sighs in relief, gesturing towards the boy from One while looking at Raja who seems to be getting more frustrated by the second.

'It would make sense for the gamemakers to try and put us at a disadvantage in order to make it fair for the other tributes and, obviously, that shouldn't be the case.' he shrugs. 'The most successful career victors have had perfect scores so why must we be put at a disadvantage because some outliers can't keep up?' he says, followed by another shrug. Barracuda's just glad to see that he's got someone defending him right now… someone who doesn't make him feel like he's being delusional.

'And do you have any _proof_ of such shenanigans?' Raja asks, the anger really apparent in her voice.

'Well…' Colin steps in. 'I found it odd that in my trial, for example, I simply had to cross a swampy pond before they pulled me out of the simulation.' He narrows his eyes a little. 'I mean, I'm not a career so it would make sense that they didn't throw me down a volcano the way they did with Goud.'

'Fine, but all I was trying to say is that Barracuda shouldn't make such a fuss, especially as our _leader_.' Barracuda notices Raja putting a lot of emphasis on the last part of her sentence as she tilts her head coyly at Goud.

'Oh, well, if we're on the topic of making a fuss may I remind you that, just yesterday, you were reluctant to defeat a 13-year-old girl in a simulation for whatever reason. It would have easily gotten you a high score but… why didn't you do it again?' Goud asks.

Raja stays silent for a while, her eyes showing nothing but distress. Barracuda can tell that Goud had caught her off guard since her normally cool and calculated demeanor had vanished so abruptly. 'It's none of your business…' she says quietly before heading back inside to await her turn.

'Seems like someone's got some unpacking to do,' Goud adds, elbowing Barracuda on the arm.

'Seems like it…' Barracuda says absentmindedly.

'Anyway, I'm just glad you, Colin, and I are on the same page,' Goud adds. 'It just seems like Raja's always trying to put weird shit in our heads, right, Colin?'

'Yeah,' the boy from Six answers. But Barracuda doesn't bother with a response, instead, picking up a spear and charging at a dummy. Right now all he wants to do is eat…

Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat…

Eat his sorrows away…

* * *

Aditya Fields, 18

District Ten Male

* * *

_It was a shame, such a shame that so many souls had to leave their empty bodies behind, simply because a secret couldn't be kept. It wasn't really Aditya's fault they all wanted to sleep with him. Sure, he would usually be the one to initiate and to lure his prey into his lair but they consented. It was never rape. Rape wasn't classy. They adored him. They wanted him for his charms, they wanted him for his money, they wanted him for the 'good causes' he organizes in the District._

_If all these charities get him the sexual satisfaction he desired, he'll gladly put on a big, bold show for these primates. He'll tell them stories of how he saved the lives of entire families consumed by famine through the money he managed to collect with his charity. Then they'll start to bat their eyes at him and he'll know. He'll know that he's won and he'll have a grand time with his sexual partner._

_However, things do tend to get a little tricky when some of the girls end up pregnant… twelve to be exact. Especially, if they are… well, prostitutes. It would ruin the family name and he could forget the idea of ever taking over his family's meat packaging company. Aditya's parents have no idea that he's a crazed sex-addict and he doesn't plan on letting them know anytime soon. His parents have enough to cover up already, especially with the working conditions of their employees. If that ever got into the limelight, oh boy, they'd be in big trouble._

_And the thing is, usually Aditya would manage to shut the girls up when they'd rush to him, sharing news of their pregnancy with worry, sometimes even glee. He'd give them money. He has a lot of it so he made sure the amount was satisfactory for the girls to pay off their abortion and keep some for personal need. And usually, it worked… but when it didn't, that's when Aditya had to get his hands a little dirty._

_He liked Jessy; he really did. She told him about the bright future she had ahead of her. She graduated from her class with highest honors and was going to take the world by storm. She always had interesting facts in store that she'd pop out whenever it was fitting and Adiyta would always be delighted by it. In fact, Aditya would be delighted by anything she said as long as she got into bed with him later on. He probably stayed in contact with Jessy the longest but today she came with the news… the news he'd feared so greatly._

_There was a creature growing inside her stomach._

_And so he offered to pay up but all she did was shout at him, cuss at him, expressing her disappointment in the way he reacted. And at that point it all clicked together for Aditya._

_There was no saving Jessy._

_'Well, someone's going to have to get that cleaned…' Aditya mumbles to himself as he wraps the sheets of the bed around Jessy's lifeless body, lifting her over his shoulder and getting into his car. It was going to be a long night._

* * *

'What do you guys think is going to be in there?' the girl from Four, Zo, asks the only two people left in the waiting room which would be Pamela, the girl from Nine, and himself. Aditya did not expect to converse in banter right now but he can't simply ignore the question.

'I guess something that might kill us,' he shrugs with a smile causing Zo to giggle a little.

'I mean, yeah, probably,' she says with a smile on her face. 'You know, I didn't expect these simulations to be so… realistic.' Zo's eyes grow wide as she raises her eyebrows in amazement.

'I agree with you. It's quite terrifying but I suppose that's what we will be facing in a few days anyway,' Aditya says. It's odd speaking so casually with a career; even he has to admit that. Aditya isn't quite sure if the girl is playing him or if she really just is as open as she's letting on. He does notice, however, Pamela being rather quiet in the corner.

'Yeah, totally,' Zo answers with complete benevolence. Her gaze flashes towards the monitor hanging from the ceiling. 'Oh, that's me!' She jumps up, tying her hair back. 'See you guys later.' the girl disappears behind the door happily.

Remaining are him and Pamela. Aditya isn't sure if he's supposed to continue conversing in banter now that Zo has left the room. The natural charmer in him evokes the need to speak up but he resists, staying quiet instead.

'Are you scared?' Pamela's voice pipes up causing Aditya to flinch. The question had caught him completely off guard. He turns to the last remaining person in the waiting room.

'Sorry?' he asks. He heard the question just fine but wants to make sure he's understanding the context of the question.

'Nevermind…' she turns away and the two of them go quiet again. However, this time the silence becomes more agonizing than tranquil. Aditya isn't sure what this girl is expecting from him; that he just put down his guard and reveal all his weaknesses to her so she can use them against him in the games? He isn't that stupid.

'Are you scared?' He reflects her question. He pinches himself a little for asking her this. He doesn't really _want_ to talk to her but for now there's nothing else to do so he'll have to engage in some sort of discussion, he supposes.

'Yeah, I guess I am.' Aditya's eyes widen a little at the sudden vulnerability and openness Pamela is displaying. He can't help but turn his head in her direction, scooching a little closer. 'I can put a coy smile on my face all day…' she drifts away, drawing her hair back behind her left ear. '... doesn't mean I'm not terrified every second of my existence here.' she doesn't look at him once.

'I'm scared too.' he says. He bits down on his tongue hard, punishing himself for what he just admitted to her but he words keep tumbling out of his mouth like they never wanted to be sequestered in the first place. 'I don't want to die.'

'Me neither... ' the solemn expression never leaves her face even as she's finally called in for her trial. She gets up, twisting her head from side to side. 'I'm telling you this because I needed someone to hear that… to hear it from me. If we ever cross paths in the arena, I have every incentive to kill you,' she adds, Aditya catching the corners of her lips tilting upwards.

'Likewise,' Aditya says with a smile. A genuine smile.

* * *

**Hey guys! I'm back, this time with the survival trials! I know the actual trials were only featured for three tributes but I thought it would get repetitive and boring to feature the same thing for everyone and, besides, we got some very meaningful tribute interactions here. It may or may not contain some foreshadowing if I may add hehe... **

**I'm not displaying the survival scores or the essence scores because I want the final scores to be a reveal which will happen during the interviews which is like two chapters away so shouldn't be that long. I'll display all the scores and the mean scores at the bottom so you'll have a great overview of everything! :) **

**But, yeah, I don't have that much more to add. I'm just really happy with how things are going with this story. Like a lot of shit is going to go down, believe me. And I'm just so excited to show what I have been planning for so long. I try to build up relationships and developments slowly. So slowly that you might not even notice hem but trust me when I tell you that most of the stuff I do is for a reason. **

**We are now four chapters away from the bloodbath... that's insane. That's so crazy. I was going to add a very, very significant subplot chapter in between but I think I'll just squeeze that in after the bloodbath because I'm just excited to finally get to killing these character off... as much as I love them of course. **

**Anyway, that's it! See you with the essence trials sometime soon hopefully! **

**(didn't proofread the chapter btw so don't come for me xD) **


	15. Essence Trials: We Choose to Succumb

Pamela 'Pam' Chrysanth, 16

District Nine Female

* * *

Pamela can't say she doesn't enjoy having all these eyes peering at her from afar, enclosed behind a sheet of glass. Were they scared of her? Of what she might do to them when she erupts? She liked to humor that idea. There was nothing much to do for now except to wait for the gamemakers call but she's starting to grow rather impatient as she nibbles on her fingertips. She glances back at the head gamemaker, Cyntho Fontana, with his little sidekick, Professor Myriad Dane. The two of them seem to be exchanging notes, peeking over at each other's tablets.

'Alright, we're ready for, Pamela.' Cynthio starts, lifting his notebook a little. 'It seems like there's quite a bit to unpack with you,' he says with a sinister smile as he sets his notes away. 'But it should be fun.' He claps his hands together ceremoniously. 'We're going to start with something simple…' Pamela flinches a little as the doors in front of her part to the side and an avox steps out. He's young, probably a few years older than her but not much more. It might be the customer-friendly side of her coming out, but part of her wants to ask the boy for his name, forgetting that his tongue has been sliced off.

'Release your toxin, Pamela.' a small shiver crawls over her body. It's clear that the boy is here for one purpose and one purpose only and the miserable expression on his face makes that ever so clear. Pamela can recall countless times in all the books she's read when the hero would stand up to injustice, fighting for what they thought was right. If only Pamela was a hero. But she's not. She'd never been what you'd traditionally call good and she never will be. She's manipulated people into buying and consuming her drugs, she's spat into the drinks of particularly nasty customers, she wasn't able to woman-up and take care of her sister. She's never been good and she won't change now.

'I'm sorry…' she whispers to the boy as she throws her head back, opening her mouth slightly and letting the intoxicatingly colourful gas take over the space around her. The mesmerizing cloud-like bodies warp out of her throat in unison, swallowing everything in their path. When Pamela cocks her head back she notices a large monitor with four empty spaces light up at the wall to her left.

'The boy carries the code,' Cynthio speaks up flatly. Pamela rolls her eyes slightly, groaning at the thought of what she has to do. Pam shifts through the gas swiftly, spotting the avox boy dangling around on his feet, barely able to keep his balance. There's a large smile plastered across his youthful face. His eyes seem lost… like they want to be lost. This is probably the best feeling he's had in ages.

She puts her hand on his shoulder, gaining his attention immediately which is surprising given his drunken state. 'Oh… you're pretty.' he says, the words almost melting together.

'You think so?' she snickers. She slides her hand into his and pulls him a little closer into the viper's pit. She wets her lips with her tongue. She can tell that the boy is trying to get even closer to her maybe even trying to lean in for a kiss. She ducks backslightly but runs her hand through his hair.

'Do you wanna… uh… like...' his words fade and Pam catches some saliva, dripping down from the corner of his mouth. Oh god. She needs to make this quick.

'We can do whatever you wanna do.' She gets closer again. 'But you need to help me first.'

'I'll do whatever you want me to do.' he bows his head a little.

She cups his cheeks, lifting him back up as his legs seem to be on the verge of imploding. 'Good, then you wouldn't mind passing me the code, right?' she smiles softly, shutting her eyes and pressing him against her. She can feel his heart beating rapidly without signs of slowing down. He's getting heavier in her arms to the point where she has to push him back a little. The avox boy's head dangles helplessly. He raises his head with difficulty, staring right into her eyes, the dreaminess in his gaze having vanished and replaced by a fatigued and dreary expression. The colour from his eyes has been drained completely.

'Help…' he wheezes, his legs going numb and giving in completely. He hits the floor hard.

'Oh no…' Pamela takes a few steps back, her hands beginning to shake frantically now. The avox boy tries to get up, his right hand clawing at his chest. His complexion begins to go paler than his eyes. With every attempt to lift himself, he just crashes back even harder. Pam abandons her fears and rushes to his side, heaving him onto her lap. When she touches his skin she feels the piercing coldness radiating off of him.

'S-somebody needs to help him!' she screams. She tries to reach out for his hand but it seems to be permanently clawed to his flesh. This has never happened before… none of this has happened before. When she tested her abilities on Colin, they never came across any side effects so why the fuck is this happening now?

'I… c-c-c-can't br-' he tries to choke out these last words, his now blue hands moving up to his throat and gripping it with all his might. Pamela slides away from him, getting to her feet.

'He's fucking dying!' she screeches at Cynthio who seems to be enjoying this more than he should. Myriad shuffles a little closer to him and whispers something in his ear to which he simply nods, turning his attention back to the furious District Nine girl. 'For fuck's sake!' she runs back to the boy, lifting up his head and wrapping her arms around it. 'I'm sorry… I'm so sorry.' She rocks back and forth with him in her arms as the grip around his throat loosens up until his hands fall to the side lifelessly. 'monsters…' Pamela hisses under her breath. 'Monsters.'

The dead silence is interrupted through clapping coming from the intercom. 'Very well done, Pamela Chrysanth of District 9. You have exceeded our expectations.' Cyntho calls out blatantly, looking almost maniacal as he glances at Myriad's tablet with a giddy smile. 'You may leave now. We'll take care of the body.'

Her mind goes blank, the dead boy still wrapped in her arms. She notices how the corners of her eyes seem to be getting darker and yet she can't stop it from letting it consume her. Perhaps sinking is the only way now; the only way to kill this pain she's never felt before.

Yes, darkness kills the pain.

* * *

Voxel Phong, 13

District Three Female

* * *

Something didn't seem right. Given the constant positive reinforcement, she's been receiving from the head gamemaker and the professor she should be acing this trial which, yes, does give her a boost of confidence but it feels like she's rushing through things. It's not the way Voxel does her job when she's in her little studio and able to take time with her creations, thinking carefully about each step, each process. It's never a matter of how fast she can get things done but with how much precision, how much accuracy. Voxel was always aware of the fact that she was a rather slow person and didn't do things brashly. However, she's found herself experiencing more joy when her projects turn out the way she wants them to.

Standing in the centre of the trial room, the haunting emptiness of the chamber swallowing her whole subtly reminds her of when she'd first put on her virtual reality headset in the early morning. It was a wonderful feeling; one she can't describe. It's like entering a whole other world, except there were endless possibilities; no constraints, no rules, no outside intervention. The emptiness was her playing field and it was up to her to create a scene. Voxel was the concept designer, executive producer, and marketer.

However, that freedom had been taken away from her at the very moment as she's been tasked with turning a cube into various shapes. It started of easier: cylinder, sphere, cone, torus and then they got to the more difficult and complex shapes: tetrahedron with four equilateral triangle faces, dodecahedron with twelve pentagon faces, and a rhombicosidodecahedron with 12 regular triangular faces, 30 square faces, 12 regular pentagonal faces, 60 vertices, and 120 edges. But Voxel knew how to operate through all these complex shapes. In fact, back at home, she'd calculate the volume and surface area of such shapes with her parents as a pastime activity, her father preparing fresh cookies that they'd dish on as they went about solving their equations and comparing them, teasing each other about their mistakes. Just the thought of it puts a smile on Voxels face as she races through her task.

'Wow! That's amazing!' Cynthio calls out as he leans forward. Voxel notices his fingers gripping the arms of his chair tightly. 'Well, Voxel, we've already been watching you during training and we've seen how you were able to replicate every single one of our weapon models. You're quite a diligent one, aren't you?' Voxel smiles, unsure if the question was meant to be answered. She hesitates for a second before opening her mouth to answer. 'So, I don't think you need to show us anything in that field…' Cynthio fills the gap that Voxel felt obliged to fill herself. 'I have an idea.' the gamemaker raises a finger. 'I'll let you decide.'

And just like that, Voxel feels a certain warmth forming in her core. A warmth that quickly develops into a rush of excitement, a certain giddiness that she can't see, to rid herself of. She takes a deep breath and lets her fantasies take control of her actions. The white and hollow space around her begins to develop some colour as patches of grass grow at her feet. She twists her hand to the right causing an explosion of floral patterns. She shoots out her other hand to the left cause trees, double her size, to protrude from the ground, towering above her. She's the composer and the essence flowing through her body, almost oozing out at that point, is her orchestra. The plants move around her body in synchrony with her movements. She's breathing her creations and they're breathing through her, becoming a part of her and living through her. As the closing act, Voxel raises both her hands, that same big old smile plastered onto her, causing the flowers and trees to rid themselves of their leaves and petals, creating a halestorm of colourful flora.

Of course, the plants aren't real. After all, Voxel doesn't know the biological and chemical composition of most of her creations in this room. It would have definitely taken her more than a few days to create a functioning organism that developed without a mind of its own. As far as Voxel knows, she can't create people or animals because that would require her to pass on logic and self-consciousness which she is unable to do. If she worked hard, she could create a replica of a human being but it would very likely wind up as hollow and abandoned as an empty cocoon with the other shell left behind. However, it wasn't Voxel's intention to create biologically functioning flora but to show the gamemakers the holographic landscapes she's able to create on a whim. She's giving them a part of her and by the look on both the professor's and Cynthio's face she did not disappoint; even she could read that off of their faces.

'That was amazing, Voxel!' the head gamemakers shouts out before turning his attention to the professor whose movements seem a little unresting. The professor beckons for Cynthio to approach, whispering something in his ears while Voxel makes her holographic images disappear as not to seem like she's being impolite and trying to eavesdrop on their conversation.

'Yes, definitely, definitely…' she catches the head gamemakers nodding. 'Alright, Voxel, if it is alright with you, we'll have you complete one more task; a quick one, I promise.' he beams warmly. Voxel answers with a simple thumbs-up. It's been a lot of fun showing them what she can do and she certainly doesn't mind showboating for a little longer. She'd never call herself an arrogant person - not at all - but it felt nice having an audience that appreciated her, especially after having felt so alone for the past couple of days. 'Our assistant here is going to hand you a glass bowl,' the game maker says as a woman dressed in all-white from head to toe, her face covered with a see-through sheet, enters the chamber, holding a foldable table in one hand and a glass bowl in the other. She sets the bowl on the table in front of Voxel and hurries out the room just as swiftly as she had appeared.

'I need you to fill this bowl with water,' he tells her. Voxel looks up at the two men, tilting her head a little as she pushes her glasses up. Surprisingly enough the thought of creating an inorganic compound never crossed her mind. But if it's something that Voxel adores then it's a good old fashioned experiment. She lifts her hands, palms hovering over the bowl. It was all about logic. It had always been about logic. If she knew what water was made of then surely she would be able to create it and everyone knew the chemical composition of water. And just like that an orb of pure H2O began to grow at her hands. She sets her fingers apart to drop the orb into the bowl causing it to splash to the side a little. Voxel jumps up in excitement, dropping her walker and falling to the side. A pair of avoxes rush to her aid and pick her up again as she chuckles quietly to herself. Cynthio doesn't say a word, instead, looking over at the professor with a satisfied smile as the avoxes escort Voxel outside.

* * *

Dirk Latimer, 18

District Twelve Male

* * *

Dirk enters the examination chamber with a certain confidence trailing closely behind him. 'Welcome, welcome!' Cynthio shouts through the intercom, legs crossed behind the glass frame. 'Make yourself comfortable… but not too comfortable,' he laughs to which Dirk rolls his eyes briefly. 'So your ability is wind manipulation, huh?'

'It is indeed.' Dirk answers with a quick nod. He wants to keep things short and not waste time. This is his last day to get some proper training in before the festivities of the upcoming two days.

'I've heard that you've been training on your ability diligently. How's it going?' Cynthio rests his chin on the palm of his hand. Something about the head gamemakers unsettles Dirk. It feels nearly impossible to read Cyntho even though that damn taunting smile is stuck to his face 24/7.

'Good, I suppose. I guess it's all about practice after-' Dirk starts before feeling a cold breeze near the back of his neck. He turns around as his reflexes kick in, sending a shockwave of air that pushes the soaring arrow away from him. His heart begins to beat rapidly at the realization of the situation or how things could have ended had his sense not alerted him on time. 'What the hell man?!' he shouts. 'That could have fucking killed me!' he balls his fists, the blood rushing to his face.

'Oh, trust me, Dirk, there's a lot more that can kill you in the arena.' Cynthio sighs. 'But it seems like your hard work has paid off.' Just as Dirk rests his shoulder, he hears another arrow approaching from behind him; this time at a higher velocity so that a simple defensive gust won't do the trick. He uses his arm to model a quick cut that he drags across his chest, summoning a sharp breeze that cuts through the arrow. Slightly out of breath, he furrows his eyebrows at the gamemaker.

'How many more you want to send my way?' Dirk asks, a slight smirk perched on his lips.

'As many as it takes,' Cynthio responds rather coldly and Dirk can tell that he doesn't find his burst of confidence amusing. However, before Dirk has the opportunity to recollect himself he catches several cracks on the ceiling opening up, probably functioning as passageways for the arrows to shoot through. He notices another few in the corners of the trial room. Dirk smiles fully now, waiting for the right moment. It's all about timing. 'Actually…' Cynthio speaks up, the formed cracks closing up again. 'Let's try something different, shall we?' Dirk scratches his head, eyes following the gamemaker closely. Cynthio gestures to one of the peacekeepers guarding the observatory. A few moments of awkward silence combined with staring contests between Dirk and Cynthio pass before a woman with silky black hair that reaches down to her pelvis moves into the chamber quietly. Dirk presumes that she's an avox given her red uniform. Probably another delusional rebel who thought that she could cause change. Dirk scoffs to himself. If people weren't so obsessed with changing how things are the whole time then maybe all of this could have been avoided in the first place… Of course the Capitol was going to defend itself and, at the end of the day, any kind of punishment is justified be it the Hunger Games or any other kind of torment. It's because of people like her that he's suffering from collateral damage.

However, Dirk's calm demeanor takes a hit once the woman pulls out a knife. She doesn't seem happy at all, in fact, rather miserable. Dirk's eyes widen as he glances up to the observation space and quickly catches on to what Cynthio is expecting of him. 'I want to see what you're able to do in a combat situation. Show me your wrath, Dirk.'

There was absolutely no way that Dirk was going to hurt this woman. Sure, she's a rebel and her punishment is absolutely justified but she's not a plaything. A punishment isn't supposed to dehumanize and ridicule someone, it is supposed to form a foundation on which self-improvement is possible. This… this is just sick. 'Forget it,' he says firmly with a clear tone. 'That's not what I'm here to do. I'm here to serve a sentence for the stubbornness and impulsiveness of the people before me. I'm not here to kill an innocent woman for your entertainment.' Dirk bites the inside of his lip.

The head gamemaker laughs. 'But, Dirk, how is that any different from having you kill other kids in the arena?' Cynthio asks, voicing faux-innocence.

'The Hunger Games serve as penance for the rebellious actions of the Districts. They are the agreed upon punishment. They're here to make us learn… to make us improve and teach us to appreciate what we already have. No one enjoys the Games.' Dirk offers a quick glance to the avox woman who's awkwardly fumbling with the knife in her hand. 'However, forcing me to kill this woman as part of my private session; well, that's not what was agreed upon and I can tell that I would be doing it solely for your entertainment.' As Dirk's speech comes to a close, he realizes that this is probably the longest time he's spoken without interruption since he arrived in the Capitol.

'Oh, Dirk… you… you... ' Cynthio laughs, unable to form a complete sentence. 'You think we don't do this for-' The gamemaker is interrupted by a firm grip of professor Myriad to which Cynthio's smile drops. 'Alright, no worries… no worries. Then I think we're done here!' Cynthio gestures for Dirk to leave.

Dirk still fails to understand what was so amusing about his speech. He was actually quite proud of himself for maintaining his moral compass and standing up to injustice. It's what he was taught to do by his family and what he will keep on doing for the rest of his life. Caught in his thoughts, Dirk fails to catch Diana in time as he walks out of the trial chamber, bumping into the fiery girl.

'Watch it, idiot.' she shoves her shoulder into his side, pushing her way through.

'What's your problem?' Dirk usually isn't one to lose his cool but something just irked him about his district partner this time.

'Is that a serious question?' she stops in her tracks, turning towards him. He feels the weight of her steps causing ripples to form across the ground.

'I know you don't like me, Diana, and I don't necessarily like you either but if we want this alliance to work we need to put our differences aside and learn to cope with each other.' Dirk feels the heat radiating off of her body causing him to sweat a little.

'Listen, boy, the only reason I'm even acknowledging your existence is that for some reason beyond my comprehension Sev feels safer with you in our alliance.' Diana puts her scorching fingers on his shoulder. Dirk slaps her hand away with a quick wince. 'I'm just going to sit silently and wait for the moment when Sev finally realizes that we don't need you...'

She smiles wickedly and walks back. '...and when she does, I'll plunge my dagger into your traitorous heart.'

* * *

Severin 'Sev' Neferet, 17

District Eleven Female

* * *

_leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubs his forehead. 'Can you just tell me how I could have done things differently?' Severin catches a certain glimmer in his eyes. It seems like they've reached the climax of their session. This is usually the part where Severin has tread extra carefully._

_'Charles, I know you're a good man. That's why I married you after all…' she scooches closer next to him, setting her hand gently on his broad back. 'It was difficult for both of us and I feel like sometimes you forgot that.'_

_lifts his head, facing Severin and staring into the eyes of his deceased wife. 'What do you mean?' he sniffles a little, the orbs of salt dripping down his face. Working for Helpout could get a little unsettling sometimes and in these moments, Severin had to make sure to stay in character to deliver the full experience. She's met many helpers who couldn't take the pressure and the sadness that came with their job. Perhaps it was because they weren't as desperate as she was for a stable income. Well, at the moment her family's income is anything but stable especially with her mother's inability to leave her bed._

_'I just think that you always took responsibility for everything. You carried that guilt all by yourself and it isolated you,' she responds. 'I guess part of me didn't know how to cope with that, how to make you feel better about yourself.'_

_'But then why-' he starts and Severin feels the breakdown that's about to take place._

_'Charles.' he freezes. 'I drove away that night because I loved you and it hurt me to watch you in pain. You weren't the one who caused my death that night… it was my own inability to cope with my feelings.'_

_And before she could think of what else to say, wrapped Severin in a hug. 'Thank you,' he whispers. She puts her bony arms around his shoulders, thinking about what she wanted to prepare for dinner. She might have to pass by the farmer's market on the way home. She needs to keep some money for savings so a warm vegetable soup sounds like a viable option._

_When the two of them switch back to reality and Severin cuts her facade loose, her client hands her the money before she gives him one last parting hug in the hopes that he might give her an extra tip. When he leaves without tipping, Sev groans a little, making her way to the bus station._

_Once she's home, she opens the door quietly in case her mother is sleeping. 'Sev, darling?' her mother coughs, pushing herself upright. The light is dim in their small apartment, making it hard to clearly decipher anything._

_'I'm back from work, momma.' she places the grocery bags on the table, grabbing one of the chairs and setting it next to her mother's bed for her to sit on. 'How are you?' she asks gently, moving over her mother's head with her palm. 'Oh gosh, you're warm. Do you have a fever? Should I get you a towel? Or tea?' Severin pushes the chair back._

_'I'm fine, sweetheart. Don't worry about me,' she says. 'Tell me about your day.' her mother smiles weakly._

_'It was just a normal day at the grocery store, you know how it is.' Sev would never tell her mother about her actual line of work. She was a simple woman, after all, and she'd call what Severin does prostitution, not therapy. 'I'm going to prepare some soup for you but then I have to get to my night shift.'_

_'I'm sorry.'_

_'What?' Severin drops the vegetables on the kitchen table. 'What are you apologizing for?'_

_'You… you're only seventeen… you should be having fun… m-meeting new people and-' her mother breaks into tears._

_'No, no,' Sev says, her voice now shaky too. 'Momma, listen to me.' She takes her mother's hands. 'I need you to look at me, momma.' Realizing that her mother wasn't doing so well, Sev slips under the covers, hugging her mother and resting her head on her shoulder._

_The vegetable soup could wait for now._

* * *

The private session she had with Cynthio and Myriad felt extremely awkward. She was tasked with summoning her two alter egos. Sev didn't really like her essence ability. It involved summoning two identical copies of herself who had contrasting personalities. It didn't take long for Sev to realize what they represented respectively. The first one, Sevvy - the way she liked to call her clone - was sweet and charming and socially very adaptable. She was also a bit of a flirt which made Severin rather uncomfortable since it was a very strange feeling to flirt with herself. Sevvy reminded her a lot of how she'd act late at night at the bar events, fishing for some tips after her singing performance. She didn't exactly know what to do with Sevvy so it was better to just keep her out of the way for now.

The second one, Rin, was more quiet and didn't like to make eye contact. What Severin noticed in the private training chamber was that Rin was extremely agile and fast. She had no problem climbing walls or swinging from bar to bar. She also had a way of simply sneaking up on someone without them noticing. It happened a few times, once with the boy from Five, Pavlov, who ended up smiling awkwardly. From that moment on, Sev has tried to avoid him as often as possible. So while Sevvy was extroverted and social, Rin was quiet and sneaky. Putting two and two together wasn't hard. Her two clones represented her two identities, one of which she displays outwardly, the other with its kleptomaniac tendencies she prefers to keep to herself. It was a little bit in your face if Severin had to admit.

During the essence trial, there was a moment when Severin was under the impression that professor Myriad Dane had figured out that she stole the wallet at the post-parade-party after having taken excessive time to observe Rin. Sev spent the whole trial, hiding her hands behind her back so none of them would catch on to her nervousness. It felt like an eternity as Myriad poked her two clones and asked them seemingly random questions as he took his notes.

Now, all she wants to do is take a nice warm bath with some soothing essential oils. The capitol lifestyle was luxurious to say the absolute least. The avoxes were there to do whatever she wanted them to do. Once, she'd even asked one of them to massage her head as another scrubbed her feet. It was nice to be in control. She's been doing stuff for other people all her life so she deserved this. However, regardless of the luxury, she's been presented with on a silver platter she must not forget her main purpose. She needs to survive. Survive, survive, survive. That's all that matters.

'Yoo-hoo!' Sev catches a smooth high-pitched voice calling after her. She turns around to see a young woman, swallowed by her puffy white fur-coat, click-clacking after her excruciatingly painful-looking heels and yet she manages to chase Severin down to hallways in an utmost graceful fashion.

Sev stops in her tracks as she waits for the now seemingly short woman to arrive. She bends down to catch her breath before introducing herself. 'Hyia! Fluffette Volakis, District 1 escort,' she extends her hand in a way that makes Severin feel like she's supposed to kiss it. Instead, she awkwardly takes Fluffette's hand from below and shakes it. What on earth does One's escort want from her?

'Listen, I'll make it quick cause I don't want anyone catching us talking.' Sev huddles in closer. 'I saw you perform at that party and… wow, that was the most beautiful thing I've heard in a long time,' Fluffette says between deep breaths of exhaustion from her short sprint

'O-Oh, uh, thanks,' Severin smiles shily, trying hard not to blush.

'So, yeah, you're amazing and… uh, I need you to perform in front of a live audience.' she says hastily as if trying to get the words out as fast as possible.

'Wait, what? I-I can't-'

'Yes, you can. Listen, no one needs to find out about this but everyone, and I mean _everyone_, is talking about you right now. You're a star, honey. Just imagine all the sponsors you'll get. You're the Capitol's sweetheart and you need to shower in the glory!' Fluffette grabs Severin's shoulders, shaking the speechless girl. 'Pleaaaase say yes.'

There are too many thoughts rushing through Sev's head right now and she can't seem to get any of them in line. '...yeah, why not,' she answers almost absentmindedly.

'That's what I like to hear! This is gonna be sooo much fun, girl! Okay I gotta go but I'll catch you tomorrow.' she squeals before trotting away.

'Hold up,' Severin calls, catching the escort's attention. 'What's in it for you?'

She smiles coyly. 'They call me the Songbird and it never hurts to be associated with talent,' she says with a wink and walks away.

A live audience… well, if there's something Severin knows how to do then it's how to wrap others around her finger. And perhaps she can use this newfound fame as leverage over Dirk when the time is right.

The longer she thinks about it the more it makes sense. Yes, Severin might have a plan.

* * *

**We're entering the homestretch of the pre-games now! So these were the essence trials which I hope you guys enjoyed. Sadly we couldn't see every tribute's essence trial since they are held privately so the tribute's essence abilities can be kept private from the other tributes. The last cycle is approaching where we're going to have a free day, the interviews/score reveal, and the night before and trust me when I tell you that this last trio of chapters is where it will all set the stage for what is to come in the games. I've never been so close to reaching the games and I'm so freaking pumped, let's go!**

**Big thanks to everyone who's reviewing frequently! You guys are pushing me and motivating me and I love listening to your feedback.**

**Since school started again I'm not completely sure when I can update with the next chapter but I hope sooner rather than later. **

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the reviews and I'll see everyone next time! **

**Cya! **


	16. Free Day: A Game of Heroes and Villains

**TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of sexual abuse in Dirk's POV**

* * *

Dimitris Apostolos, 18

District Two Male

* * *

"This… this is great," Dimitris throws his arms behind his head as he stretches his back.

His hands drift towards the pina colada to his side. He sucks at the straw, a joyous expression taking over his face as the refreshing beverage makes contact with his taste buds.

"Can we stay here forever?" He asks rhetorically before sliding back into his beach chair, lifting his feet from the warm sand.

He catches Zo snatching away the pineapple perched on the edge of his drink before stuffing it into her mouth like a rodent. They make quick eye contact and she smiles at him causing Dimitris to blush a little. Nevertheless, he returns the smile.

"We shouldn't get distracted, Dimitris," Raja cuts in.

"Just because we have a free day certainly doesn't mean that we can allow ourselves to forget why we're here in the first place," she lifts her black sunglasses from her eyes, setting them on her shimmering forehead.

Dimitris had never seen Raja tie her hair back into a high ponytail but it seems to work for her. He forgets that she's an actual person sometimes and not some vengeful AI disguised as a tribute, waiting to take over the world.

"Remember what they told us in the morning?"

Dimitris most definitely does not remember what the gamemakers told them in the morning since he'd been staring at a particularly adorable looking Zo that morning. Dimitris stares at Raja with a blank look, lifting his shoulders slightly. The District One girl sighs as she gets up from her chair.

"We're here for sponsors, idiot," she spits out, evoking a frown from him.

"I mean, why do you think they gave us these designer swimsuits?" Raja asks rhetorically, pointing to herself.

She's wearing a beige swimsuit, the straps of which stretch diagonally across her chest, hooping around the back of her neck and ending at the otherside of the bikini top. The straps form some sort of infinity sign around her body.

"Raja, relax, girl," Zo intervenes after chugging down the remainder of her mango smoothie, "they love us," she nudges her head to the side, Dimitris following her direction.

He catches a group of photographers taking pictures of them from behind the fence of the pool resort. They wave over to him as soon as he turns around. Raja sighs again.

"'Well, I don't know about you but I'll use every opportunity I can get to profit from these swimsuits that our sponsors gave us," Raja reaches out for Barracuda's hand, "care to join me in the pool? I think it's important as the career leader that you be the face of this pack."

Goud raises his eyebrows nudging Colin who seems to have fallen asleep next to him.

"Yeah, why not," Barracuda takes her hand as he pushes his chair back to lift himself up.

She doesn't waste time and Dimitris can't remember having seen her move with such passion and exuberance as she drags Barracuda behind her to the pool. Raja splashes some water at him as Barracuda cracks his neck and charges at her, pushing the girl underwater. When she resurfaces the two of them laugh and Dimitris notices the photographers going absolutely wild in the back. Even the Capitolites who have paid to be in the pool resort with them have begun to gather at the pool, some of them even joining Barracuda and Raja.

"Dude, I'm actually telling you, she's only doing it because she totally feels herself in that bathing suit," Zo laughs.

"Trust me, there's no way she's doing that just for sponsors," Dimitris feels like he needs to ask her if she wants to go to the pool with him as well.

It would be the perfect time now since she basically brought it up but if she rejects him, Dimitris wouldn't know if he could take it. He groans internally. Why can't he just go up to her and ask her? His fans do that with him all the time when they want to get their shirts signed so why can't he show that same courage?

Out of nowhere, Goud shoots up from his chair, "okay, we don't have much time," he looks around frantically, eyes scanning the perimeter of the resort area. Dimitris notices Goud's glare lingering on Nastya who seems to have wandered off to socialize with the locals near the fruit stand.

"Do you guys see what's going on here?"

Once again, Dimitris fears that he's the only one who does not understand the situation so he just nods in the hopes that it comes across as authentic. However, Zo doesn't bother putting up a facade.

"Uhh, not really. But do tell." The small pause that follows is interrupted by Colin's gentle snoring.

A slight smile appears on Dimitris's face as he watches the boy peacefully slumber. Goud elbows the boy from Six in his side, waking him up abruptly. Colin flinches, almost falling off his chair.

"Are you seriously sleeping right now?" Goud hisses.

"Sorry," Colin mumbles, rubbing his eyes causing both Zo and Dimitris to chuckle a little.

Goud rolls his eyes before proceeding, "anyways, isn't it abundantly clear that Raja is trying to wrap Barracuda round her finger? I mean, that's the reason why she picked him as a leader… because he's easy to manipulate and she's a sly bitch."

Dimitris doesn't know how to react in this situation. He'd never been one to notice small things like these. Just like his parents, Dimitris would always look at the bigger picture and that didn't mean that he was less intelligent but that he was more focused and goal-oriented. Well, at least that's what his parents always tried to convince him of.

"I propose we make an alliance," Goud continues.

"But we're already in an alliance…" Dimitris answers, a hint of confusion in his tone which earns him an exasperated sigh from Goud.

"No, I mean like an anti-alliance. Colin, Pamela, and I have already decided to come together and it would be a lot easier if the two of you were on board as well," Goud explains.

"Wait, but what about Nastya?" Dimitris asks, causing Goud to fall back into his chair, dropping his arms to his sides. Zo smiles, however, and places her hand on Dimitris's shoulder.

"Please never change," she giggles, "I think what Goud is trying to say is that both Nastya and Raja already have their thing going on and are trying to pull Barracuda on their side, correct?"

"Yeah, exactly," he responds.

"Speaking of, where is Pamela?" Zo ruffles her hair a little when she notices the cameras turning towards her.

"She's not feeling all too well…" Colin chimes in subtly, throwing a towel over his shoulder and making his way to the swimming area.

Zo looks on pensively as her eyes trails Colin's footsteps, "anyway, If you guys are on board…" Goud attempts to rein in the conversation.

"We're not interested," Zo cuts him short.

"...What?"

"Yeah, you heard, we're good. No need to pull us into your genius plan," she grabs Dimitris's hand and pulls him away from the chairs, leaving Goud all alone. Dimitris looks back at the boy from One, mouthing a 'sorry' before Zo tugs at his arm once more.

"Let's go on one of the slides!"

"I've never been on a slide…" Dimitris notices himself blushing once more.

Zo's jaw drops wide open, "you've never been on a- what?!"

Dimitris chuckles nervously.

"Yup, we're definitely doing this," she nods affirmatively and all of a sudden Dimitris's worries just fade away and all he can think about is this girl he's following; this girl he never knew existed and yet he can't imagine a life without her.

Dimitris is falling for a girl who might kill him soon enough.

* * *

Dirk Latimer, 18

District Twelve Male

* * *

The tribute plaza was about a quarter the size of District Twelve, so the three of them- Dirk, Diana, and Severin- had plenty of space to roam on their last day of freedom. What really surprised Dirk, however, was the press that followed them around, stalking them around every corner. Even before they left the training center, his stylist gave both him and Diana certain outfits that they were recommended to wear during the day. It was absolutely absurd and he didn't see the point of it all but he didn't really have the energy to argue back either. Without resistance, he got into his linen pants and his oversized orange button-up, which was stuffed into his pants. Lastly, he was also handed a pair of binocular-looking sunglasses which are coming in handy now that he thinks about it given the fact that the photographers can't read the irritated expression off his face.

He didn't necessarily want to stay with Diana or Severin either but both Dodge and Cayenne came to an agreement that they'd be spending their free day together to come across as a united front. He could hear Diana's groaning from across the room and it isn't like he's enjoying it either. At least he's got the decency to keep his discontent to himself. Severin, on the other hand, kept her cards close to her chest the way she always does. She's been rather silent around him lately which is understandable given the fact that he'd started blackmailing her a few days ago. It's bound to come out so he might as well come clean to Diana when the time is right.

Well, one thing is for sure and that's the fact that the three of them are not a good combination. They march together in silence looking for some sort of ice cream place Severin's escort recommended to them. Apparently it's supposed to earn them more sponsors during the Games if they ate there. Dirk didn't bother understanding the logistics of it. Severin walks in the middle of their trio, sporting a lime green, rectangular-looking dress, tied together with a mossy green ribbon around the waist. While Diana, insistent on keeping as much distance as possible from Dirk, walks on Severin's right, her black leather pants that match her black cropped tank top making a sort of rubbery sound when her thighs rub together.

The tribute plaza could be described as a large indoor hall with huge glass plates, surrounding the dome, allowing for sunlight to enter the structure and giving the place a more inviting and warm atmosphere. The inside consists of terraces on various levels with many interconnecting escalators. There were even some outdoor areas like the large waterpark resort in the south or the botanical garden in the eastern direction. Dirk, however, was a simple man so if his mentor hadn't supplied him with a map he would have never found his way around. Well, then again, maybe getting lost would have saved him from the games so it was a blessing and a curse.

"Do you guys want to, like, discuss our bloodbath strategy or something?" Severin finally breaks the silence offhandedly as she rotates the map in her hands, a rather puzzled look on her face as she attempts to decipher their current location.

"It's easy," Diana cuts in, eyes looking straight ahead.

"I'll burn anyone who approaches us… and maybe Dirk if he gets on my nerves."

She gives him a side glance that's filled with venom but Dirk tries to ignore it. Feeding her wrath will simply make things so much worse.

"Yes, but we need backup plans." she puts the map down, "what if someone sneaks up on us or-' Severin stops in her tracks.

The sudden silence, filling what you could barely call a conversation, causes Dirk to turn towards Severin. He spots a very tiny, peppy-looking woman, grabbing Severin by the hand.

"I'll need to borrow your ally here for a sec," she smiles, clearly trying to keep her composure which doesn't seem to be working due to her continuous bouncing.

She squeezes Severin's hand to which the District Eleven girl nods affirmatively.

"O-okay. I'll catch up with you guys later," she says hastily before being torn away.

That leaves him and Diana.

He notices her moving away from him. "Where are you going?" he asks her.

"Let's spare the awkwardness, shall we?"

"It's more awkward if you leave since we're headed to the same place," he rolls his eyes and reconsiders why he's even trying to stop her from leaving.

However, all he gets in return is a groan as his district partner shifts in his direction rather sluggishly. "There we go," he patronizes, earning himself a vicious glare from Diana.

The two of them walk side by side in utter silence and yet Dirk isn't bothered by it. In fact, it was rather therapeutic not to say anything or have to defend himself for once. He notices a small flier stuck to the bottom of his shoe and rips it free. To Dirk's surprise, it's the image of the District One girl and her District partner standing on opposite sides, a large versus sign placed in between them.

"The Lightning Queen or the Shapeshifter? Who will outlast the other?" Dirk reads out loud as Diana halts, taking a few steps back. "Cast your votes now at ," Dirk continues before turning to Diana, "the hell is this?"

Diana snatches the paper slip away from him and takes a look at it for herself. "It's Capitol advertisement to get the audience hyped up for the Games," she scoffs. She balls the piece of paper into a sphere and tosses it to the side.

Dirk's jaw remains open. "Wait, what do you mean?"

"I don't see how you could not have understood what I just said."

"I don't understand…" Dirk mumbles to himself.

"Oh, look, there's a poster of us too." Diana jogs to one of the pillars connecting the floor to the ceiling of the plaza and rips the sheet free. "Wow, they're calling me a fire breathing wyvern."

Dirk takes a peek at the poster, catching sight of a picture of himself. "And you're the silent threat apparently whatever that's supposed to mean." she eyes Dirk. "You don't seem so silent to me."

"But why are they making a joke of this?" he asks aloud, brushing her comment away. Diana furrows her eyebrows, lowering her head a little. "The Hunger Games are supposed to be a punishment and not some kind of spectacle. It's… it's not something the Capitol should ridicule or diminish," he elaborates, wiping away the sweat that's beginning to form on his forehead.

"Look around you, Dirk…" she raises her arms and gestures at the Capitolites surrounding them and taking pictures of the two of them as if they were a rare, exotic animal species. "... and tell me that this is not entertaining for them."

The flashlights from the cameras and the telephones blind him, the whispering and mumbling between the bodies of flesh begin to fade into one, and all he hears is his own heartbeat echoing. "I-I have to go, Diana, I'm sorry." he feels his breakfast starting to resurface as he cups his mouth with both his hands. He needs to get away from here. He needs to run. He needs to hide.

Just like that, everything Dirk thought he knew about the world began to crumble, the fragments shattering at his feet. But Dirk doesn't walk across the shards. No, he shuts his eyes and runs away from them.

* * *

_Dirk sets the newspaper on his father's side of the table, pouring himself a glass of orange juice to rejuvenate himself before a long day in the dark catacombs of the dusty mines. He hears the stove beeping, signaling that the eggs are done. Dirk scoops the scrambled eggs from the pan and drops them into a large plate, the clouds of steam still rolling into the distance. _

"_Goodmorning, son," his father calls out as he makes his way down the wooden steps of their small cottage-like house. Dirk feels his body cringing immediately._

"_Hey, dad. I made breakfast." Dirk pushes his chair back and gestures for his father to take a seat as well, he instead grabs the newspaper from the table and slides it into his coat._

"_Sorry, buddy, but I'll have to head out early today. I'll be home a little later as well."_

_Dirk felt a shiver take over because he knew exactly what that meant. It was going to be a horribly uncomfortable night for him. His father coming home late usually didn't mean that he was working longer but that he would hit the bar late at night and come home drunk and…_

"_But you enjoy yourself, alright?" his father adds, putting his hand on Dirk's shoulder who begins to clench his fists. That very hand has done so many things to him already; this hand has touched him in places a father shouldn't touch his son in; this hand has caused him so much pain._

"_Damnit," his father curses, bending down to pick up his keys that slid out of his pocket. Dirk's eyes fall immediately on the knife that's sitting pretty next to him. It could be one quick stab. That's all it would take to extinguish his tormentor's flame._

_However, what few know is that Dirk would rather use that very knife to stab himself than betray his family. He wasn't raised that way. He was raised to honor and respect his elders and that's what he'll always do._

"_Alright, bye, dad," he mutters, following his father's trail out the door and knowing very well that he was going to suffer for another night. Suffering is what he's known for and suffering is what this nation deserves._

* * *

Severin 'Sev' Neferet, 17

District Eleven Female

* * *

"How did you know where I was?" Sev asks, trying not to fall on her face as a mighty force pulls her up a flight of stairs. That mighty force of course being Fluffette Volakis, District One's peppy escort. Fluffette mumbles something inaudibly, masked underneath her heavy breathing because even she was beginning to tire from their sudden marathon sprint.

"You are going to love this!" Fluffette tightens her grip around Severin's hand.

Sev remembers the encounter she had with Fluffette - the day prior - rather vaguely. However, Severin does remember that it was something along the lines of profiting from her newfound fame to gain more sponsors and Sev was no idiot. It's obvious what Fluffette is attempting here and, as odd as it is, Severin isn't letting her anxiety get the best of her. She's meant to be a star after all.

"Should I be scared?" Sev laughs with faux-confusion, faking her cluelessness.

"Oh gosh no!" Fluffette's high pitched voice chimes in between the heavy breaths. 'It's gonna be great just you wait and see,' she cackles to herself still under the assumption that her plan was building up to be a grand surprise.

"Okay, I trust you." Sev clears her throat, preparing for what might very well be her last performance in the land of the living.

When the two of them reach the top of the endlessly ascending stairs, Severin can say with confidence that her theory was correct. Fluffette lets go of the girl's hand, shifting behind her and giving her a little push. She was at the back of a stage; a stage that was clearly meant for her. She catches sight of a group of giddy Capitolites taking out their cellphones as they see her approaching the stage warily.

"She's here, she's here!" one of them shouts out, covering his mouth immediately when his friend gives him an irritated nudge.

Sev turns back to Fluffette for a hint of encouragement only to realize that the escort had abandoned her. Great. She moves her head to either side, cracking her neck and takes one deep breath. This is her moment and she can't fuck it up. She just has to do exactly what she practiced yesterday night. This was the first step to her inevitable victory after all.

The audience moves by itself, cheering for Severin the moment her heels touch the stage. Control is what Severin's always desired in life and it's been a while since she's had it, especially with that damned boy from Twelve, looming over her like a dark cloud. But Severin was about to earn her control back.

"Well hello there!" This is far from the first time that Severin stood in front of a mic as all eyes are on her. Singing at a bar on weekend nights sure comes in handy now. She smiles to herself. "As you all probably already know, my name is Severin Neferet; a name you'll hopefully be hearing for quite a while." She winks at the massive crowd in front of her, earning another wave of ovations.

"You're a queen!" a gangly girl with a purple afro in the front row shouts. Severin catches sight of Fluffette clapping to herself and nodding with enthusiasm next to the afro girl.

Severin beams. "No, you are. As a matter of fact, all of you are so precious to me. It's because of your support that I feel strong, that I feel like I can come out victorious and make each and every one of you proud. None of you deserve to be let down and you won't be… I'll make sure of it." She declares, pressing her right hand against her chest as she severs the microphone from its stand with her other hand.

"Now I know that all of you are here for a performance and you'll get one don't worry but I have something I need to discuss with all of you first…" the crowd goes silent after the applause she received for her flawlessly executed speech.

"There's something none of you are aware of." The excitement on Fluffette's face fades as she gives Severin a puzzled look. "The fact is…" she pauses for anticipation, staring at her feet to add a little bit of melodrama to her act. "…I'm being oppressed."

She hears loud gasps coming from the crowd as some of the audience members' jaws drop. Even Fluffette seems to be taken aback. "I'm being oppressed by Dirk Latimer." She finally ads.

Yes, Severin Neferet's plan is unfolding and it's time for her to take back the control she's been craving for so long. "Dirk has somehow managed to wrestle his way into the alliance I have with his District Partner and it's tearing me away from her." She allows the tears to well up. "And… well… he told me he'd kill me if I ever stepped out of line."

Severin notices how the whispers and infuriated expressions are exchanged within the crowd. That was her cue. "And I know that all of you want to help me and you can! I need all of you to spread the word around about my case. You can even get in touch with people who can help me within the arena if you must. I just need your support." After a small break of silence, she hears a person clap and then another and another and soon the whole audience is in unison, cheering her on. She's turned them into her followers. She's turned them into Dirk's enemies.

"Now… let me sing for you."

* * *

Leven Granert, 14

District Five Female

* * *

Leven doesn't necessarily want to strike a conversation with Aditya but her initial ally is making this nearly impossible. "So, what do you guys think of harpaes?" Pavlov glances from side to side, switching between Leven and Aditya.

"They're so adorable, holy shit," Aditya says in a sort of high pitched, innocent voice Leven would have never expected coming from him.

Quite frankly, Leven hasn't exactly made an effort to engage in any sort of conversation either. Ever since Aditya decided to barge in on her friendship with Pavlov he seems to be joined at her District partner's hip. It's become excruciatingly annoying but Leven wouldn't ever raise any concerns to Pavlov or she might push him away from her and he's the only ally she's got.

"What do you think, Lev?" Leven snaps back to reality.

"I don't know what a harpae is," she says bluntly, retreating back into her shell and hoping that that would be the end of it. She can sense that Pavlov is noticing that something isn't completely right with her and she just prays that he doesn't mention anything Infront of Aditya. Leven doesn't need that boy thinking that he has any leverage over her.

"You have to see one! They're truly a delight! I'll show you when we hopefully encounter one," Pavlov says in content.

"I mean, they're basically just feline-avian-hybrids," Aditya laughs, offering Leven a smile.

She turns her head away from him, instead, focusing on the people who are subtly – or maybe not so subtly – attempting to take pictures of them. It makes her feel rather uncomfortable having the cameras pointed at her as if she was some sort of object on display for everyone to enjoy. She grabs a hold of the bottom of Pavlov's shirt and squeezes herself to his side, trying to hide her face but the strangers won't let go of her.

And then she feels a darkness covering her body. She opens her eyes, fully expecting Pavlov to be by her side, ready to protect her. But it isn't Pavlov who stands between Leven and the photographers.

It's Aditya.

"Can't you tell that she's uncomfortable?" he asks the Capitolites with a surprisingly forthright attitude. Leven sees from the corner of her eye how they slowly start to back away from the three of them.

Pavlov puts his hand on Leven's head. "Look at you being all heroic and stuff." Leven can't see the expression on Pavlov's face but she catches a bit of playfulness in his tone.

"I just don't like it when people aren't considerate of others, especially children." And just like that Leven doesn't see the District Ten boy as cold and heartless anymore. She doesn't fully trust him but perhaps his intentions weren't as bad as she initially thought they were. Perhaps, just like her, he felt lonely and needed allies and it was Pavlov who was kind enough to let him in.

Leven finally pushes herself away from Pavlov and they continue walking along the dense alleyways of the plaza until they reach an open area that's shaped like a large glass dome. A large fountain takes center stage of the expanse. "Look at these guys…" Pavlov mumbles, inspecting two hooded figures huddled together as they slowly approach the trio.

"Should I…?" Aditya asks, taking a couple of steps in front of Leven and Pavlov.

"I don't think they'll bother us but we can keep an eye on them," Pavlov answers calmly.

Just as the two hooded figures brush by Leven she hears it. "Monsters…" one of them mutters resentfully.

"What?!" Pavlov turns around, clearly having heard the same thing. Aditya who was ahead of them also stops in his tracks.

"What's the matter?" Aditya asks, his voice not so calm and confident anymore.

"Say that again?" Pavlov pushes Leven behind him, puffing his chest up a bit.

The two shadowy figures stand still, their backs still facing the three tributes. They rip off their hoods, revealing a young man with a buzzcut and a tightly fitted leather jacket and a woman who seems to be older than him, dressed in a grey pantsuit, her blonde hair tied into a ponytail.

"Vile creatures," the woman spits out maliciously before pulling out a handgun and aiming it at Leven.

Leven feels herself suffocating. She feels an icy hand touch her heart, squeezing it tightly. She sees her father standing in front of a gate, extending his warm hands and welcoming her into his arms. How badly she wants to go with him… but now is not her time.

She feels something warm slithering around her waist, pulling her away from the gunshot causing the bullet to fly past her. The rope pulls her towards Pavlov and upon seeing her District partner she understands that it is in fact his tongue wrapped around her body. The two of them, realizing that the bullet flew in Aditya's direction, exchange panicked looks, searching for their ally but he is nowhere to be found.

The crowd at the plaza breaks out into panicked screama as everyone tries to make a run for it.

Leven doesn't have time to ponder where Aditya might have gone off to because buzz cut-boy reveals a machine gun and doesn't waste any time either, immediately going on the offensive. Instinctively, Leven stretches her arms out to protect Pavlov, knowing very well that she has to look out for him just as much. The bullets start to freeze mid-air one by one and a small smirk forms on Leven's face.

"You cover biker guy over here and I'll take her," Pavlov tells Leven. She nods and the two of them spread out. Leven charges at the boy, hands ready to freeze his attacks in case he pulls another stunt. He attempts to shoot some more bullets but quickly gives up when Leven inhibits them from soaring towards her. He tosses the machine gun to the side and tries to land a side kick but Leven ducks under his lower leg, delivering a solid punch to his face, knocking him out completely.

She turns to Pavlov, seeing him stuck vertically to a wall of one of the buildings as the venomous blonde woman shoots at him but Pavlov avoids the attacks as he crawls on all fours from side to side. Finally, he leaps away from the building, landing at the woman's feet who attempts to kick at him now. Pavlolv grabs a hold of one of her legs mid-air, pulling her to the ground as the gun falls out of her hands, sliding along the floor a few feet away from her. Pavlov runs towards the weapon but before he can pick it up, the woman claws herself to his back, digging her teeth into his neck. Pavlov screams as he hits the gun against the woman's head, the collision knocking her out completely

Leven notices a neon sign beginning to break off from the building due to the damage of the gunshots. She scans the area and spots a small girl crying below, right where the sign would crashland if she doesn't do anything about it. When the lit-up sign finally breaks off completely Leven lets out a scream despite having anticipated the occurrence. She extends her arm once more in the direction of the sign. The weight of the object itself pulls Leven to the ground as her body cramps up, trying to freeze something three times her size. Mere inches before landing on the little girl, Leven manages to encapsulate the sign in her time bubble.

She shouts for Pavlov who instantly makes his way towards the young girl and snatches her up in his arms, carrying her to safety. Leven finally releases the sign from its frozen state and sighs in exhaustion as the sound of the collision takes over and a layer of dust and debris fills the air.

The dust blinds her but Pavlov appears behind her, resting his hand on her shoulder. "You good?" he asks.

"Yeah," she says, spotting the wound on his neck. "You're bleeding."

"I'll be fine." his fingers linger on the blood stains, surrounding his wound.

When the dust settles, Leven notices how a few people are gathered around the plaza, some finally crawling out of their hiding spots, others just standing there aimlessly. The silence doesn't last long before a couple of them start clapping while others whistle.

They're cheering for Leven and Pavlov.

A peacekeeper cargo arrives rather quickly. A group of medics lead Pavlov to the supply station to be treated as Leven is hurried into the back of the cargo truck.

It's dark but the darkness is delightful. She's sitting all alone in the back. Leven leans back and smiles.

"What the fuck is happening," she laughs to herself.

* * *

**YES, YOU CAN HATE ME. It's been like three months I know and I don't need to go too much into it. Let's just say mental health reasons didn't allow me to be productive in the summer and school was getting a lot more serious than I had anticipated once summer was over. I'm back on vacation now though and I plan on using this time to get to the bloodbath since we're like, what, three chapters away? Speaking of! I already have half of the next one written so you can expect another update this week. **

**In other news, this time has allowed me to rethink my Games a lot and I've made some very exciting changed that I cannot wait for all of you to read about...**

**Please leave a review and I look forward to seeing some predictions quite soon!**

**Ciao!**


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